*By Alisha Haridasani and Madison Alworth*
Starbucks' chairman announced Thursday that anyone, not just paying customers, will be allowed to use the toilets at the coffee chain's stores.
The change in policy comes a month after two black men were arrested at one of the company's cafes in Philadelphia after asking to use the bathroom without having made a purchase.
"This is the brand that they've built, this idea of the third place that you're able to sit at," said Deirdre Latour, a communication and reputation strategist. "So I think they're doing the absolute right thing,"
Videos of the arrests in Philadelphia were widely circulated on social media, prompting protests against Starbucks and accusations that the coffee chain engaged in racial profiling and discrimination.
The new policy is part of a wider effort by the company to rehabilitate its image and attempt to make its stores more welcoming and inclusive.
"Howard is a really good spokesperson for this because he's very committed to social issues," said Latour, referring to the Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz. "It's the right thing."
In announcing the new policy, Schultz said Starbucks doesn't "want to become a public bathroom,” but it will give everyone who asks the keys to their restrooms.
"We don't want anyone at a Starbucks to feel as if we are not giving access to you to the bathroom because you are 'less than,'" Schultz said on Thursday.
Starbucks executives, including Schultz and the CEO, Kevin Johnson, [responded](https://news.starbucks.com/views/starbucks-response-incident-in-philadelphia-store) to the controversy at the Philadelphia store by apologizing to the two men. The company also announced it was shutting down all its stores in the U.S. for half a day later this month to train staff to be more sensitive to racial bias. The company asked the former Attorney General in the Obama administration, Eric Holder, and the social justice activist Bryan Stevenson to help craft the training curriculum.
The training will be as much about explaining protocol to Starbucks' staff as it will be setting expectations with the public.
"I think they're going to have to really communicate externally, not just to their employees, exactly what the training is ー What's coming out of the training. What's going to be different in the stores," said Latour. "They need to come up with real actions so people don't think it's spin."
Starbucks will close around 8,000 stores for the afternoon on May 29 to train 175,000 employees.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-to-handle-a-crisis-pr-scenario).
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
