A California-based delivery driver on Friday was awarded $50 million from a lawsuit against Starbucks after he was burned by a hot beverage that spilled in his lap at a drive-thru.
Michael Garcia sued the popular coffee chain after having to undergo skin graft procedures on his legs and penis, which he says was caused by a scalding hot tea not being properly situated in the cardboard drink carrier. Garcia was burned from one of three venti-sized “Medicine Ball” beverages that he was picking up, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/16/delivery-driver-injury-lawsuit-california-starbucks">The Guardian</a>. According to the outlet, a Medicine Ball is an off-menu item consisting of &#8220;steamed lemonade, hot water, Jade Citrus Mint green tea, Peach Tranquility tea and honey.&#8221; 
Garcia’s attorney, Nick Rowley, said in a press release that Garcia’s “life has been forever changed” by the accident.
“No amount of money can undo the permanent catastrophic harm he has suffered, but this jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility,” Rowley said.
The attorney also <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-awarded-50-million-starbucks-hot-tea-rcna196616">noted</a> that “Starbucks offered $30m to settle but wanted confidentiality. We said we would settle for $30m without confidentiality and only if Starbucks agreed to publicly apologize and promise to change policy to prevent this from happening again.”
Starbucks also issued a statement, saying they were sympathetic to Garcia’s pain but also that they planned to appeal the decision. The company said they have “always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores.”
“We sympathize with Mr. Garcia, but we disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive,” Starbucks said in a statement.
The case is reminiscent of the famous 1990s case of a New Mexico woman who burned her legs with a hot cup of McDonald’s coffee. The late Stella Liebeck, who was 79 years old at the time, sustained third-degree burns in her pelvic region and was hospitalized for eight days while undergoing skin grafting, plus endured two additional years of medical treatment. 
Liebeck originally petitioned to settle with McDonald&#8217;s for $20,000 to cover her medical expenses, but the fast food chain declined, which led to her attorney suing for gross negligence. Liebeck was awarded $160,000 for medical expenses and $2.7 million in punitive damages, but that amount was later reduced by the judge. Liebeck and McDonald’s eventually settled for an undisclosed amount.

Starbucks

Delivery Driver Wins $50M In Lawsuit Against Starbucks After Hot Tea Spilled On His Genitals

Delivery Driver Awarded $50M In Hot Tea Lawsuit Against Starbucks

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As we approach 365 days since the horrific attacks of October 7, 2023, it’s abundantly clear that America has an anti-Israel extremism problem. Points of evidence range from the comparatively mundane, such as Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman’s chief of staff breaking longstanding protocol to criticize her boss’ pro-Israel stance on record to reporters at the Free Press, to the unquestionably extreme, such as the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspect-accused-stabbing-jewish-man-brooklyn-charged-hate-crimes-rcna166305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">case</a> of a Jewish man violently assaulted outside a New York synagogue in August, whose attacker yelled “Free Palestine” before asking the victim if he wanted to die and stabbing him in the torso. The August stabbing was yet another incident in the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/driver-allegedly-jumps-curb-targets-people-new-york-city-jewish-school-rcna154647" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spike</a> of antisemitic violence we’ve seen in the wake of the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Outside of the rise in physical violence, anti-Israel sentiment has propped up in a multitude of other places, from the mouths of student protests at universities like Columbia and Yale to the mouths of American lawmakers like Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). Yet, outside the academic and political realms, the push to attack Israel has also made its way into an area that’s increasingly become a focus for political activists: the boardrooms of America’s biggest companies.
Every year, thousands of publicly-traded companies hold their annual meetings, where shareholders vote their corporate shares on issues pertaining to the company’s governance and operations, often presented via proposals from shareholder groups themselves. For many years, these shareholder proposals have focused on social issues, in an arena more or less completely dominated by the progressive Left and its obsession with prioritizing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues that place partisan politics over good governance and fiduciary duty. As an analyst at America’s largest pro-shareholder proxy advisory firm, I’ve read thousands of shareholder proposals — from activists calling Starbucks racist for upcharging for oat milk (yes, you read that correctly) to others urging Walmart to confront its systemic racism problem (it’s so apparent that you can’t see it at all).
But those are comparatively small issues — shareholders wanting to waste Walmart’s money on their pet causes is one thing. The tone changes, however, when it’s shareholders lobbying weapons companies to disarm the state of Israel. And, this shareholder season, that’s <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/06/21/inside-bds-lefts-sneaky-targeting-israel-via-corporate-boardrooms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exactly what happened</a>. Activists went to brands like Lockheed Martin and <a href="https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/eo/documents/annual-reports/2024-proxy-statement.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> them of playing a role in &#8216;war crimes&#8217; for selling aircraft and weapons to the Israeli government — a partnership that’s existed for <a href="https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-il/who-we-are.html#:~:text=Notably%2C%20Lockheed%20Martin%20has%20also,F%2D35%20Lightning%20II%20fighter." target="_blank" rel="noopener">decades</a>. They took similar sentiments to <a href="https://investors.rtx.com/static-files/f5957454-3174-4285-bf5f-06462044467d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raytheon</a> and <a href="https://s2.q4cdn.com/299287126/files/doc_financials/2024/ar/Amazon-com-Inc-2024-Proxy-Statement.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a>, claiming that the company propped up “apartheid” by doing business with the Jewish state.
It’s worth noting that, while some proposals were filed before the events of October 7, many, including the call for Amazon Web Services to divest from Israel, were filed after, and expressly used the events of and response to October 7 to bolster their case for disarmament. These activist shareholders took their linguistic and rhetorical cues straight from the anti-Israel propaganda playbook, using the lofty language of universal commitment to human rights as they called for the largest companies in the world to not only leave innocent Israeli citizens defenseless against their enemies, but ditch Israeli vendors for the crime of being vendors in Israel.
<h4><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a></h4>
If you or anyone you know is a member of the Episcopal Church, you should know that the Church sponsored such a <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1526520/000119312524129373/d725214dars.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal</a> on TripAdvisor’s corporate ballot, urging the company to stop doing business with Israeli tourism vendors to avoid complicity in “human rights harms.” Such corporate activism is a picture-perfect example not only of how bought-in ESG activists are to progressive ideology, but how many mainstream American institutions have come along for the ride. Where’s the good news?
Whether the violence of October 7 exposed the inhumane calculus of one-sided corporate divestment for what it is, or whether shareholders simply weren’t willing to meekly comply with activist demands of &#8220;drop Israeli clients and lose out on financial returns because we say so,&#8221; the anti-Israel movement lost big at the boardroom. At Amazon, anti-Israel proposals last year pulled more than 33% of shareholder support. This year, thanks in part to conservative <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/16/business/radical-lefty-elites-in-corporate-america-love-hating-on-israel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">journalists</a> and <a href="https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2024/04/29/the_esg_anti-israel_push_isnt_taking_sides_its_choosing_lives_1027963.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shareholder advocates</a> in this space exposing the activist rot, such proposals pulled less than 20%.
As skepticism of ESG grows, its association with radical ideologues like the ones seeking to disarm the Jewish state has only hurt it in the eyes of ordinary American shareholders who invest in companies for financial return, not to play politics. For the anti-Israel activists who see ESG as a way to channel their destructive corporate philosophy into geopolitical difference-making, it’s back to the drawing board. Let’s hope they stay there for a very, very long time.
* * *
Isaac Willour is a corporate analyst at Bowyer Research, America’s largest shareholder-first proxy advisory firm, and an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. He can be found on X <a href="https://www.twitter.com/@IsaacWillour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@IsaacWillour</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

US-ECONOMY-STOCKS-MARKET

Since October 7, Anti-Israel Activism Has Failed Where It Matters Most

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Woke Culture

The Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing Starbucks&#8217; challenge to the federal labor agency that forced the coffee giant to rehire seven workers who tried to unionize.
In the summer of 2022, Starbucks fired seven baristas who were organizing a union at their Memphis location, arguing the workers violated company policy by having a television news crew come to the store after hours.
However, the National Labor Relations Board obtained a court order to reinstate the terminated baristas, agreeing with the workers that they were fired over their union activities. An appeals court later upheld that decision.
Starbucks argues that federal courts should have stricter standards for reinstating fired employees. Currently, a court may grant an injunction against a company if it is deemed &#8220;just and proper.&#8221;
During the first day of arguments, some of the justices appeared to agree with Starbucks.
Justice Neil Gorsuch pointed out that other federal agencies are subject to a stricter standard.
&#8220;In all sorts of alphabet soup agencies, we don&#8217;t do this. District courts apply the &#8216;likelihood of success&#8217; test as we normally conceive it. So why is this particular statutory regime different than so many others?&#8221; Gorsuch <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-examines-firings-pro-union-starbucks-workers-2024-04-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a>.
Starbucks has a notoriously fraught relationship with its union, Starbucks Workers United, but tensions have recently cooled somewhat.
Starbucks and union representatives announced in February that they would resume talks. They were set to meet on Wednesday for a bargaining session, the first in close to a year, with the goal of getting a contract by the end of 2024.
Nevertheless, Starbucks has decided to plow ahead with its case before the high court to the dismay of union officials.
“The day [Starbucks] committed to a new path should’ve been the day that they pulled back the case before SCOTUS,” Lynne Fox, president of Workers United, the parent union of Starbucks&#8217; union, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/04/23/starbucks-union-supreme-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Washington Post.
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Twelve current and former Starbucks baristas also wrote to the Supreme Court to claim they had been fired or punished for supporting union activity. Some said they had lost their health insurance or had their electricity cut because they could not pay their bills.
If the court decides in favor of Starbucks, the decision could discourage union activity at other companies. Union activity has <a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/union-petitions-up-35-unfair-labor-practices-charge-filings-up-7-in-the" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surged</a> across the country this year.
Amazon, SpaceX, and Trader Joe’s have also recently challenged the National Labor Relations Board.
SpaceX filed a federal lawsuit in Texas earlier this year against the agency after the labor board accused the company of illegally firing eight employees for criticizing Elon Musk, the company&#8217;s founder.

Starbucks Coffee shop

Starbucks Challenges Federal Labor Board Before Supreme Court

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Shoppers caused a commotion this week as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/target">Target</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/starbucks">Starbucks</a> released several drops of limited edition Valentine&#8217;s Day Stanley brand tumbler cups.
Videos showing crowds of people waiting in line outside Target locations nationwide before rushing into the store and grabbing cups off the display have been circulating on social media following the release on New Year’s Eve. The Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumblers are offered in Cosmo Pink and Target Red and are a part of the brand&#8217;s &#8220;Galentine&#8217;s Collection.&#8221; 
&#8220;Made to gift, a card label is included while a tiny heart adorns the Stanley logo. With a pop of pink and the perfect shade of red, let&#8217;s celebrate your gal pal by spreading the love,&#8221; a <a href="https://www.target.com/p/stanley-40-oz-stainless-steel-h2-0-flowstate-quencher-tumbler/-/A-90630466?preselect=89249675">description</a> from the Target website says.
Cups sold out quickly online and in stores despite the $45 price tag. 
Shoppers were equally excited about the January 3 release of the special “Winter Pink” Stanley cups, with some shoppers choosing to camp out overnight in the Target parking lot. 
“We are seeing an enthusiastic response to the Starbucks x Stanley Quencher and many stores have sold out. It will not be restocked,” a Starbucks representative told <a href="https://www.today.com/food/news/starbucks-pink-stanley-cup-target-rcna132157">Today.com</a>.
One TikTok <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jazzedbyjaz/video/7318835095551642926">video</a> documenting the in-store experience on December 31 in El Paso, Texas, showed a mass of shoppers running toward the display to score the tumbler. The TikTok user’s caption said, &#8220;Getting trampled for a Target Stanley Valentine&#8217;s Cup.&#8221;
Another <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@victoria_robino_26/video/7318781471873977646?is_from_webapp=1">viral TikTok clip</a> showed what happened in a Target store in Goodyear, Arizona, saying the tumblers there sold out in less than four minutes. Just like in the Texas version, the video showed people rushing to get cups from the display.
“Pulling up to target to wait in line since 10pm the night before for the new Stanley,” user ivey_huerta shared on social media. “Store opens at 8am. It’s now 1:45am. Wish us luck.”
The post comments were a mix of people marveling that anyone would care that much about a beverage container and shoppers bragging about how they had scored one of the coveted cups.
One comment said, &#8220;Stanley definitely knows what they are doing. Everyone and their mom wants one. IDK I still can&#8217;t wrap my head around paying that much for a cup.&#8221;
“Nothing in the world I want or need this bad,” another commenter said.
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The limited edition cups are already listed on resale sites such as Mercari, eBay, and Poshmark for anywhere from $100 to $300. 
The Stanley all-steel vacuum flask was invented by William Stanley Jr. in 1913. The brand has released various container products throughout the years and first introduced the 40-ounce Quencher tumbler in 2016. 
Initially, the Quencher was not a good seller, leading the company to stop restocking and marketing it in 2019. The company partnered with a female-run blog with the goal of selling 5,000 Quenchers and resumed production, introducing the cup in a line of unique colors. 
The cup’s popularity took off and has since helped drive Stanley’s annual sales from $70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023, per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/style/stanley-tumbler.html">The New York Times</a>.
The Stanley cup is a status symbol across demographics ranging from teens to adult women.

Target

Limited Edition Valentine’s Day Stanley Cups Cause Chaos At Target, Sell Out In Minutes

Limited Edition Valentine's Day Stanley Cups Cause Chaos At Target, Sell Out In Minutes

Economy

TikTok

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/starbucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Starbucks</a> and its barista labor union have filed dueling lawsuits against each other over a pro-Palestinian social media post from the union in the wake of Hamas&#8217; attacks on Israel this month.
Starbucks <a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-union-lawsuit-israel-palestinian-f212a994fef67f122854a4df7e5d13f5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a lawsuit against Starbucks Workers United in federal court in Iowa on Wednesday, accusing the union of damaging Starbucks&#8217; reputation by posting on social media in support of Palestinians.
The Seattle-based coffee giant is alleging trademark infringement and demanding the union stop using the name &#8220;Starbucks&#8221; and a green logo that looks similar to the Starbucks logo.
The Starbucks workers&#8217; union responded by filing its own lawsuit against the company in federal court in Pennsylvania. The union is accusing Starbucks of defaming the union by implying that it supports &#8220;terrorism, hate and violence.&#8221;
The union is requesting to be allowed to keep using the Starbucks name and the similar logo.
Starbucks Workers United posted “Solidarity with Palestine!” on X on October 9, two days after Hamas launched its deadly attacks on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people. The union&#8217;s post was <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/starbucks-union-championed-by-bernie-sanders-and-aoc-celebrates-hamas-attacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quoting</a> another post that included a picture of a bulldozer tearing down part of the Israel-Gaza border.
The union <a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-union-lawsuit-israel-palestinian-f212a994fef67f122854a4df7e5d13f5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in its lawsuit that workers put up the post without authorization from union leadership. The post was deleted after about 40 minutes.
The Iowa chapter of the union also <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/starbucks-union-championed-by-bernie-sanders-and-aoc-celebrates-hamas-attacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promoted</a> a rally supporting Palestinians, and the Boston chapter <a href="https://twitter.com/BostonSBWU/status/1711410725057392729" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> that it condemns the Israeli military for &#8220;senselessly and viciously bombing, murdering, and injuring innocent Palestinians.&#8221;
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The union, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/starbucks-sues-pro-hamas-baristas-union-1835966" target="_blank" rel="noopener">represents</a> about 9,000 Starbucks baristas and other employees at more than 360 of the coffee company&#8217;s 34,000 stores worldwide. On its website, the union <a href="https://sbworkersunited.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accuses</a> Starbucks of an &#8220;unprecedented union-busting campaign&#8221; and said the company &#8220;refuses to bargain with us in good-faith.&#8221;
The union&#8217;s president accused Starbucks of exploiting the violence overseas to fight the union.
“Starbucks is seeking to exploit the ongoing tragedy in the Middle East to bolster the company’s anti-union campaign,” Workers United President Lynne Fox <a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-union-lawsuit-israel-palestinian-f212a994fef67f122854a4df7e5d13f5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in a letter to Starbucks.
Meanwhile, Starbucks said it was inundated with more than 1,000 complaints about the union&#8217;s social media post. Hostile customers confronted Starbucks workers, who also received threatening phone calls, Starbucks <a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-union-lawsuit-israel-palestinian-f212a994fef67f122854a4df7e5d13f5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;Starbucks unequivocally condemns acts of terrorism, hate and violence, and we strongly disagree with the views expressed by Workers United,&#8221; Starbucks Executive Vice President Sara Kelly <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/starbucks-condemns-acts-of-terror-strongly-disagrees-with-statements-made-by-workers-united/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement on Tuesday.
Hamas&#8217; attacks killed at least 27 Americans along with hundreds of Israeli civilians, including children. More than 200 Israelis <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/israel-hostages-hamas-explained.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been</a> taken hostage.
Israel is now waging a massive counteroffensive, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians-death-toll-ground-offensive-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launching</a> airstrikes in Hamas-controlled territory and preparing for a ground offensive.

Starbucks And Barista Union Sue Each Other Over ‘Solidarity with Palestine’ Post

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A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/starbucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Starbucks</a> labor union with past ties to prominent members of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/democratic-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democratic Party</a> expressed “solidarity” with the people group that backed an unprecedented terrorist attack on Israel.
A social media account for Starbucks Workers United posted “Solidarity with Palestine!” following the deadliest terror attack on Israeli soil in the nation’s history, according to <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/starbucks-union-championed-by-bernie-sanders-and-aoc-celebrates-hamas-attacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Free Beacon</a>. The attack was carried out by Hamas, an Iran-backed terror group elected to lead Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The attack left over 1,200 civilians dead and thousands wounded, marking the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust.
The union has since deleted the post, made on X, formerly known as Twitter, according to the Free Beacon, which captured a screenshot of the image. Starbucks Workers United is an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and represents roughly 9,000 baristas.
The now-erased comment was made while reposting an image of a Palestinian bulldozer tearing down the Israeli-constructed wall between Gaza and Israel. The Hamas attack against Israel, which took place Saturday, included hundreds of terrorists who tore apart sections of the wall to transport vehicles, weapons, and militants into Israel.
In the recent past, a number of prominent Democrats have aligned themselves with the union, such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman.
Support for Palestinians has gained traction on the left-wing of the Democratic Party and in institutions such as Harvard since Israel declared war on Hamas on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to repay Hamas for butchering hundreds of Israeli civilians with a war that the terrorists and their backers will remember for decades.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri put out statements <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4245770-tlaib-bush-criticized-by-democrats-over-statements-calling-for-end-to-israel-support/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticizing</a> Israel in the aftermath of the attack and expressing support for Palestinians. Tlaib, in a lengthy statement, falsely accused Israel of being an apartheid state and of occupying Palestinian territory. She then called for U.S. funding to Israel to be cut.
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“The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation, and apartheid makes no one safer. No person, no child anywhere should have to suffer or live in fear of violence. We cannot ignore the humanity in each other,” she said. “As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”
Bush made a similar statement, also calling for the U.S. to pull support for the Jewish state: “As part of achieving a just and lasting peace, we must do our part to stop this violence and trauma by ending U.S. government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid.”
Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-takes-on-hamas-sympathizers-with-history-lesson-this-has-nothing-to-do-with-settlements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debunked</a> the accusations against Israel during an interview with Megyn Kelly on her show Tuesday.
“Israel unilaterally pulled out of the Gaza Strip in an attempt to create some sort of security arrangement, presumably protect the Jews at the northern tip of the Gaza Strip, and allow the Palestinians some chance at electing a government,” Shapiro said, referring to the pullout in 2005. “They then promptly elected Hamas, a State Department-designated terror group in an election that was fully legitimate as attested to by [former U.S. President] Jimmy Carter.”
“So the attempt to tie this to settlements is insane,” Shapiro said, “because again, there are no settlements inside the Gaza Strip. The areas that were attacked [in Israel] have been part of the state of Israel since 1948. This is not post-1967 settlements in the West Bank — in the so-called West Bank; Judea and Samaria.”

Starbucks Workers United

Starbucks Union Backed By Prominent Dems Claims ‘Solidarity With Palestine’ After Hamas Terror Attack

Terrorism

World

Race hustling is good money if you can get it — the key is not to be sued while you&#8217;re doing it.
That&#8217;s good news for former Attorney General Eric Holder. He isn&#8217;t being sued, but the bad news is that Starbucks is facing legal action after it instituted several &#8220;diversity&#8221; policies that he recommended following his &#8220;racial equity audit.&#8221; Critics claim that the coffee retailer engaged in racial discrimination.
On Friday, The Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/starbucks-hired-eric-holder-to-conduct-a-civil-rights-audit-the-policies-he-blessed-got-the-coffee-maker-sued/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Starbucks hired Covington &amp; Burling — a top-of-the-line law firm in D.C. where Holder is senior counsel — to conduct &#8220;civil rights assessments.&#8221; Holder&#8217;s task came after an infamous 2018 incident at a Philadelphia store where employees called the cops on two black men who had not purchased anything but wanted to use the restroom. They refused to leave after their request was denied. Starbucks vowed to do better and wanted to get to the bottom of what to change.
So, Holder was brought in to get the job done and tell Starbucks how to be a better ally, apparently. He and his team published a report that recommended strategies like &#8220;tying executive pay to diversity targets, setting spending goals for &#8216;diverse suppliers,&#8217; and launching a mentorship program for &#8216;BIPOC&#8217; employees,&#8221; according to The Free Beacon. 
Now, the National Center for Public Policy Research — a Starbucks shareholder — is suing the company for allegedly violating civil rights and discriminating on the basis of race. 
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Starbucks isn&#8217;t alone in these sorts of &#8220;diversity, equity, and inclusion&#8221; policies. The Free Beacon reports other major companies have propped up fellowships and positions that exclude whites.
As for Holder&#8217;s recommendations, attorney Adam Mortara is dumbfounded that any lawyer would tell a company to behave this way. 
&#8220;I’m stunned that a law firm would have counseled any company to do this,&#8221; Mortara said. &#8220;What could possibly be the justification?&#8221;
Indeed, per the Beacon, Holder&#8217;s report did not address the legality of his suggested policies. According to the outlet, Holder has charged upwards of $2,000 per hour for similar work elsewhere.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

UNITED STATES – SEPTEMBER 7: Former Attorney General Eric Holder attends the official White House portrait unveiling ceremony for former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday, September 7, 2022.

Eric Holder Was Paid To Tell Starbucks How To Be More ‘Diverse,’ And Now It’s Being Sued.

Eric Holder Was Paid To Tell Starbucks How To Be More 'Diverse', And Now It's Being Sued.

Eric Holder

Starbucks workers at more than 150 locations will go on strike over accusations that the company is not allowing Pride month decor in cafes, the Starbucks workers union said Friday.
The union, Starbucks Workers United, said more than 150 stores with close to 3,500 workers have pledged to strike over the next week. More than two dozen more stores <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/23/starbucks-union-says-workers-will-strike-over-pride-decor.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are voting</a> on strike authorizations, which could bring the count up to nearly 200 stores, according to the union.
&#8220;STRIKE WITH PRIDE! Seattle Roastery leads nationwide Starbucks strike over Starbucks’ hypocritical treatment of LGBTQIA+ workers,&#8221; the union wrote in a tweet Friday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
STRIKE WITH PRIDE! Seattle Roastery leads nationwide Starbucks strike over Starbucks’ hypocritical treatment of LGBTQIA+ workers. Over 150+ stores and 3,500 workers will be on strike over the course of the next week.
&mdash; Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBWorkersUnited/status/1672186968707325952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last week, the union claimed that Starbucks had restricted Pride month decorations in some stores, suggesting that the famously liberal Seattle coffee giant bowed to pressure from conservatives to deemphasize Pride Month.
Starbucks denied the allegations and said the company has not changed its policy on store decor this year, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/23/business/starbucks-union-pride-strike/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noting</a> that some stores have shared their Pride decorations on social media.
“We unwaveringly support the LGBTQIA2+ community. There has been no change to any policy on this matter and we continue to encourage our store leaders to celebrate with their communities including for US Pride month in June,” a Starbucks spokesperson <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/23/business/starbucks-union-pride-strike/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We’re deeply concerned by false information that is being spread.”
However, the union responded by <a href="https://twitter.com/SBWorkersUnited/status/1671665149298761728" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claiming</a> that internal documents show that regional Starbucks leaders in more conservative areas of the country had decided to cancel Pride celebrations this year.
The union <a href="https://twitter.com/SBWorkersUnited/status/1672313576470487053" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> a long list of demands that meshed LGBT issues with workers&#8217; issues.
One of the demands is &#8220;consistent hours,&#8221; which will help workers access healthcare, &#8220;including gender-affirming care,&#8221; the union said.
The union is also demanding gender-neutral bathrooms, a grievance procedure, protection from discrimination and sexual harassment, &#8220;an end to intimidation tactics&#8221; like withholding credit card tipping, and &#8220;a real voice at work.&#8221;
&#8220;Starbucks tokenizes queer &amp; trans workers and uses us for positive PR &amp; profit, but they don’t want to listen to us. Enough of the performative progressivism – we demand Starbucks come to the table to bargain a contract that legally GUARANTEES our rights,&#8221; the union tweeted.
Starbucks is well known for being an early adopter of progressive policies for its workers.
In 1988, Starbucks <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/23/business/starbucks-union-pride-strike/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered</a> full health benefits to same-sex couples. In 2013, the company began covering gender surgeries for trans-identifying people. In 2015, Starbucks began allowing workers to use a name “consistent with their gender identity or expression.”
However, Starbucks is not known for being friendly to the idea of its workers unionizing.
“I don’t think a union has a place in Starbucks,” former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-ceo-unions-dont-have-place-at-coffee-giant-2023-2#:~:text=Schultz%2C%20who%20stepped%20in%20as,a%20right%20to%20do%20so." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last year, adding that if employees “file for a petition to be unionized, they have a right to do so. But we as a company have a right also to say, we have a different vision that is better.”
In recent months, major companies including Bud Light and Target have received backlash and watched their stock nosedive in response to their aggressive LGBT marketing.
Target <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/23/target-to-remove-some-lgbtq-merchandise-after-facing-customer-backlash/?dicbo=v2-x4CMNWo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulled</a> some LGBT-themed kid&#8217;s clothing after the backlash.

New York City Lights Up In Support Of The 50th Anniversary Of The First Gay Pride March

Starbucks Workers At Over 150 Stores Will Strike Over Pride Decor, Union Says

Pride

Pride Month

A federal jury awarded a white <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/starbucks">Starbucks</a> regional manager — who was fired after staff at one of her stores called the police on two black men in 2018 — over $25 million, finding that the coffee giant fired her because of her race.
In the unanimous ruling, the jury <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12193961/Starbucks-manager-ran-Philly-store-two-black-men-refused-access-bathroom-gets-25M.html">awarded</a> Shannon Phillips $25 million in punitive damages and $600,000 in compensatory damages. Phillips’ lawsuit against Starbucks alleged that the company fired her on the basis of her race, in violation of New Jersey law and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Phillips and her lawyer, Laura Carlin Mattiacci, were “very pleased” with the unanimous verdict. Mattiacci said that “[Phillips] proved by ‘clear and convincing evidence’ that punitive damages were warranted” under New Jersey law, according to the Daily Mail.
Phillips <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/13/nyregion/starbucks-pay-manager-rittenhouse-square.html">oversaw</a> around 100 stores in the Mid-Atlantic region, being promoted to regional manager in 2011 for “exemplary performance” as a district manager in Ohio. The company claimed that she was fired for poor performance, saying the “Philadelphia market needed a leader who could perform” and that “Ms. Phillips failed in every aspect of that role.”
One of the stores in her region was the Rittenhouse Square Starbucks in Philadelphia, which in 2018 refused bathroom access to two black men — Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson. The men claimed to be waiting for a third man to meet about a real estate opportunity. After asking the men to leave, the employees called the cops and the men were arrested.
The video of the men’s arrest caused protests across the nation and prompted Starbucks to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/business/starbucks-closing-racial-bias-training.html">require</a> 175,000 employees at 8,000 locations to undergo “sensitivity training.” 
Weeks after the incident, Phillips claimed that Starbucks started punishing white employees to show the public they were handling the situation, even if the employees had nothing to do with the Philadelphia store&#8217;s controversy.
For instance, Phillips said one of her superiors, a black woman, ordered her to <a href="https://www.njemploymentlawfirmblog.com/court-permits-starbucks-reverse-discrimination-claim-to-proceed/">suspend</a> Benjamin Trinsey — a white manager — because of racial discrimination allegations against him that claimed he paid ethnic minorities less than white employees. Phillips argued Trinsey was not racist and did not have a say in employees’ wages. Still, Phillips followed the directive and suspended Trinsey. Two days later, she was fired.
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In contrast, Phillips said that the black manager of the Rittenhouse Square store had faced no disciplinary action. Around the same time, Paul Sykes, a black district manager under Phillips, faced numerous complaints concerning his management style. While the coffee giant investigated Trinsey and suspended him, it did not investigate Sykes. 
Sykes went on to testify in the case that he heard discussions that the coffee company wanted to send a &#8220;strong message&#8221; after the racial incident and believed that Phillips&#8217; race played a role in her firing.
Phillips claimed that the only justification given for her termination was that she had performed poorly in her role and that the “situation is not recoverable.” 
The company claimed that Phillips missed important meetings and lacked awareness about how the situation at the Rittenhouse Square location was affecting Starbucks. However, Phillips presented evidence that she was fully present and even provided emotional support to many under her leadership during the controversy, including Sykes and Trinsey.
Further combating Starbucks&#8217; claims of her negligence, Phillips said she immersed herself in the company’s efforts to restore its reputation, seeking to support hourly workers through the process. She claimed to organize store managers in her jurisdiction to help cover shifts at stores whose employees were scared of protesters.

Starbucks Intangible Heritage Concept Store in Shanghai,

Court Rules White Starbucks Manager Was Fired Because Of Her Race, Awards Her $25M

Court Rules White Starbucks Manager Fired Because Of Her Race, Awards Her $25M

Court

Philadelphia

Former <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/starbucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Starbucks</a> CEO <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/howard-schultz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Howard Schultz</a> asserted during a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> hearing Wednesday that American cities have worrisome <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crime</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/homelessness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homelessness</a> problems which have impaired the company’s operations.
The coffeehouse company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/america-has-become-unsafe-starbucks-ceo-rips-politicians-in-decaying-cities-after-closing-16-urban-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last summer that executives would close 16 stores in major metropolitan areas, such as Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., over rampant crime that threatened the safety of employees. An impassioned Schultz noted in a leaked <a href="https://twitter.com/thehoffather/status/1547308330929963008" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> that many of the shuttered stores were profitable and that officials at the “local, state, and federal level” were neglecting to address public safety concerns.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) asked the veteran executive in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVrfKnZn8N4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hearing</a> for the Senate Health Committee about whether he still believes that “the lawlessness in this country is out of control” and whether the Biden administration should restore “law and order.”
&#8220;We do, in fact, have a significant issue of safety in urban cities around America, and Starbucks has closed many, many stores that were profitable as a result of the fact that our own people do not feel safe working in the stores,&#8221; Schultz responded. &#8220;And we have a situation of homelessness, drugs, mental illness, and as a result of that, many of the societal issues that we&#8217;re facing today are difficult for Starbucks to address because we don&#8217;t have the power or the responsibility to address these things, as you&#8217;ve described.”
Marshall noted that “it is a sad day for this nation when the crime is so bad that you feel the need to close profitable shops because you cannot keep your employees safe at their place of work.”
The lawmaker added that “every single location” closed by Schultz was in a city managed by Democratic officials. The executive, who endorsed President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, has contributed extensively to Democratic lawmakers and the Democratic National Committee, according to an <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/howard-schultz-a-longtime-democratic-donor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> of federal election data from OpenSecrets. Schultz previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/outgoing-starbucks-chairman-howard-schultz-rips-emily-zanotti" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a>, on the other hand, that the Democratic Party has moved too “far to the left.”
Schultz said in the leaked video that “America has become unsafe” and predicted that there would be “many more” store closures as a result of public safety issues. “It has shocked me that one of the primary concerns that our retail partners have is their own personal safety,” Schultz said about conversations he has held with employees. “And then we heard the stories that go along with it about what happens in our bathrooms, the issue of mental illness, the issue of homelessness, and the issue of crime.”
Urban crime has indeed risen precipitously in the wake of the lockdown-induced recession: the number of murders rose 34% and motor vehicle thefts increased 59% between 2019 and 2022, while the number of robberies, nonresidential burglaries, and larcenies continued to increase between 2021 and 2022, according to <a href="https://counciloncj.org/pandemic-social-unrest-and-crime-in-u-s-cities-year-end-2022-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Council on Criminal Justice.
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The store closures came after Starbucks opened their restaurants and bathrooms to people who had not made purchases, a move which followed an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-black-men-arrested-philly-starbucks-break-james-barrett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">incident</a> involving two black men who were arrested for remaining in a Philadelphia store without buying any items, sparking nationwide outrage among activists and calls to boycott the coffee franchise.

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Former Starbucks CEO Sounds Alarm About High Crime And Homelessness In Cities

Former Starbucks CEO Sounds Alarm Over Worsening Urban Crime

Homelessness

Howard Schultz

Senate

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/starbucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Starbucks</a> office workers drafted a letter to management on Wednesday as executives mandated a reduction in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/remote-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remote work</a> opportunities.
Employees within commuting distance of the company’s Seattle headquarters must travel to the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and a third day determined by their teams, according to a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/11/starbucks-orders-return-to-office.html#:~:text=Starbucks%20corporate%20employees%20will%20be,to%20two%20days%20a%20week." target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> seen by CNBC earlier this year. Several dozen office workers created a <a href="https://starbuckspartnersunited.org/?page_id=31" target="_blank" rel="noopener">petition</a> asserting that the firm would diminish productivity and violate trust with employees due to the change.
“This behavior of not listening to partners has also impacted us, the support partners. An unforeseen and poorly planned ‘return to office’ mandate is making our lives more difficult, prioritizing corporate control over productivity, diversity and inclusion, and individual job satisfaction,” the employees wrote. “Our mission of serving ‘one cup, one person, and one neighborhood at a time’ is explicitly ignored when corporate policies attempt to eliminate the individuality of our partners and stores.”
The petition added that “more is at an all-time low” and urged management to let teams “have a voice in setting the working conditions that make them happiest and most effective.” Employees generally prefer virtual work arrangements because of reduced commuting time and more flexibility, but costs for employers can outweigh the benefits of attracting and retaining talent that the policies can enable: 85% of managers believe the shift to hybrid work during the lockdown-induced recession has eroded confidence that employees are remaining productive, according to a <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work-is-just-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from Microsoft.
The pivot away from remote work has generated controversy within some of the nation’s largest companies, especially in the technology sector. Amazon, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-dismisses-thousands-of-employees-in-bid-to-reduce-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> some 18,000 employees over the past several months, is likewise asking staff members to report to the office at least three times per week. Thousands of employees <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thousands-of-amazon-employees-revolt-as-ceo-makes-them-show-up-in-office-at-least-three-days-per-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reacted</a> by starting an internal Slack channel meant to challenge the end of fully remote work; four in five members threatened in one informal survey to search for new positions elsewhere because of the policy change.
The Starbucks employees also called for executives to “respect federal labor laws” and permit store partners to freely vote on unionization. The petition comes after nearly 300 Starbucks locations <a href="https://sbworkersunited.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elected</a> to form labor unions over the past two years and on the same day as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee would decide on issuing a subpoena for Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz for allegedly failing to comply with federal labor standards.
“While Howard Schultz is a multi-billionaire who runs a very profitable multinational corporation, he must understand that he and his company are not above the law,” Sanders said in a <a href="https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-announces-help-committee-vote-on-subpoena-for-starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “These violations include the illegal firing of more than a dozen Starbucks workers. For nearly a year, I and many of my colleagues in the Senate have repeatedly asked Mr. Schultz to respect the constitutional right of workers at Starbucks to form a union and to stop violating federal labor laws. Mr. Schultz has failed to respond to those requests.”
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Starbucks has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/america-has-become-unsafe-starbucks-ceo-rips-politicians-in-decaying-cities-after-closing-16-urban-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">closed</a> several restaurants in major cities due to concerns over crime and homelessness, a phenomenon which followed the company opening their restaurants and bathrooms to people who have not made purchases. The policy change occurred after an incident involving two black men who were arrested for remaining in a Philadelphia store without buying any items.

‘Making Our Lives More Difficult’: Starbucks Office Staff Revolt As Company Makes Them Show Up Three Days Per Week

Starbucks Office Staff Revolt As Company Makes Them Show Up Three Days Per Week

Remote Work

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/starbucks?_gl=1*98sfg7*_ga*OTAwNTI1NTYwLjE2MTM5NzIxMzI.*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTY2MTc5MTQ5My4xMTg2LjEuMTY2MTc5MjE2NC4yNi4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Starbucks</a> will increase the number of loyalty points necessary to enjoy free <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drinks and snacks</a> next week as the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">company</a> battles persistent <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflation</a>.
Enthusiasts of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/restaurant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restaurant</a> chain will have to spend more in order to reap the same amount of benefits for most items in the popular Starbucks Rewards loyalty program. The alterations constitute an effort to “better align the cost of product redemptions to our current pricing,” Starbucks CMO Brady Brewer remarked during a recent <a href="https://s22.q4cdn.com/869488222/files/doc_financials/2023/q1/SBUXQ12023EarningsCall.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earnings call</a>.
“By making that change, it will create discount efficiency which helps us to continue to grow the program while effectively managing margin,” he told investors.
Starbucks Rewards participants can <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/rewards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">redeem</a> a brewed hot coffee, bakery item, or hot tea for 50 stars; a handcrafted drink, hot breakfast, or parfait for 150 stars; a lunch sandwich, protein box, or salad for 200 stars; and select merchandise or at-home coffee for 400 stars. The items available at the 50-star tier will soon be <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/rewards/terms-coming-soon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available</a> at 100 stars, while the items available at the 150-star and 200-star tiers will become available at 200 stars and 300 stars.
On the other hand, the redemption value of iced coffee and iced tea products will decrease from 150 stars to 100 stars, while packaged coffee will decrease from 400 stars to 300 stars.
The changes occur months after prices for the Pumpkin Spice Latte, one of the brand’s most popular seasonal items, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pumpkin-price-latte-cost-of-starbucks-popular-fall-drink-rises-due-to-inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> some 4% from the previous autumn. Coffee prices in the United States have more generally increased 14.3% between December 2021 and December 2022, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t02.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while prices for roasted coffee and instant coffee have risen 15.5% and 10.8%, respectively.
Overall food inflation reached 10.4% as of two months ago, considerably exceeding the 6.5% headline inflation rate. Food away from home, a cost category that includes spending at restaurants, increased 8.3% over the same period.
Restaurants have also languished under historically low labor force participation, which has prompted executives to raise wages and pass increased costs onto consumers. There are currently two open positions in the labor market for every one unemployed individual, according to more <a href="https://www.bls.gov/charts/job-openings-and-labor-turnover/unemp-per-job-opening.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Several national fast-food chains have started efforts to automate restaurant operations as the persistent labor shortages continue to disadvantage employers in the job market. McDonald’s recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-real-minimum-wage-is-zero-mcdonalds-restaurant-uses-automation-for-pickups-and-orders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created</a> a test restaurant in Texas in which customers can use kiosks and a mobile app to grab their orders from a conveyor belt rather than interacting with staff, while Chipotle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-passed-a-new-minimum-wage-bill-now-chipotle-is-testing-a-robotic-chip-maker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested</a> a robotic chip maker at a California location.
Starbucks and other restaurant chains are likewise contending with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/america-has-become-unsafe-starbucks-ceo-rips-politicians-in-decaying-cities-after-closing-16-urban-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disturbances</a> from increased levels of crime and homelessness in their urban locations. The company said last year that it would close locations in cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, and Philadelphia amid the safety issues. “It has shocked me that one of the primary concerns that our retail partners have is their own personal safety,” Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told employees in leaked footage. “And then we heard the stories that go along with it about what happens in our bathrooms, the issue of mental illness, the issue of homelessness, and the issue of crime.”

Starbucks.

Bean Counting: Starbucks Rewards Demands More Points For Free Drinks Due To Inflation

Starbucks Rewards Demands More Points For Free Drinks

Food

Inflation

Menu