Middle-Market Woes Inspire Starbucks’s Bet on Luxury Coffee

Middle-Market Woes Inspire Starbucks's Bet on Luxury Coffee - As core clientele loses spending power, chain readies push into realm of $12-a-cup java - About 25 years ago, Starbucks Corp. decided to become a public company on the bold idea that customers across the country would pay more than $1 for a cup of coffee.

Merkel’s U-Turn Angela Merkel calls for Germany Burka Ban saying …

MERKEL'S U-TURN Angela Merkel calls for Germany BURKA BAN saying 'the full veil is not appropriate here' in astonishing U-turn - The German Chancellor made the announcement at a party conference having recently declared she will stand for re-election - ANGELA Merkel today completed The day's must-read political news and opinion pieces are scattered across hundreds of news outlets and blogs, too many for any one person to read. Fortunately, memeorandum arranges all of these links in a single, easy-to-scan page.

Suing To Win Elections

In the current climate of open opposition to the electoral college by infuriated progressives, as well as the effort to undermine the election results by initiating voter recounts where there is no evidence of voter fraud, and together with numerous denunciations of the rise of populism, domestic and foreign, the Supreme Court is hearing two cases today about that most populist of all political acts: voting. Both cases involve attempts to undermine the redrawing of legislative districts by Republican-controlled state legislatures.

Supreme Court Wrestles With Racial Gerrymandering Cases

The Supreme Court grappled with two redistricting cases Monday from Virginia and North Carolina, in which Democrats and civil rights advocates allege the state legislatures packed minorities into a handful of legislative districts to constrain their influence statewide. The justices dedicated two hours to a discussion of allegations from each state, at times wading deep into the record and hashing out the finer points of the redistricting process.

New ISIS Spokesman Makes Chilling Promise As Coalition Descends On Capital Cities

Iraqi soldiers pose with the Islamic State flag along a street of the town of al-Shura, which was recaptured from Islamic State , south of Mosul, Iraq October 30, 2016. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo The Islamic State's named its new spokesman Monday, and his first statement offers a chilling threat against the West while the terrorist group's two capital cities are under siege.

America’s Veterans Deserve Pete Hegseth

The three of us have three things in common: we're all Army veterans, we all served with Pete Hegseth, and we all strongly believe that Pete is the best possible pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs . Collectively, we've served with Pete in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan and are confident that the overwhelming majority of the service members that Pete has served with feel the same way.

De Blasio Admits Protecting Trump Costs Drastically Less Than Previous Estimate

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at a news conference at City Hall in the Manhattan borough of New York City. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Protecting President-elect Donald Trump and his family will cost around $500,000 per day, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is asking for $35 million from the federal government to cover cost.

We Just Got The Surest Sign Yet Apple Plans To Eat Elon Musk’s Lunch

Apple appears to be flooring the gas in the race to place self-driving cars on the market, sending a letter to U.S. regulators with thoughts on proposed guidelines. "The company is investing heavily in the study of machine learning and automation, and is excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation," Steve Kenner, Apple's director of product integrity, wrote to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .

Off-Duty Corrections Officer Killed In New York City

A New York City off-duty corrections officer was on her way to a shift on Rikers Island when she was shot dead in her car Sunday night. According to the New York Post , Alastasia Bryan, 25, was killed outsider her home in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn, N.Y. Some investigators are calling the killing a planned execution while other reports suggest the shooting may have been a random act of violence.

Five Key Things Healthcare Consumers Must Know

With the costs of healthcare rising under Obamacare, consumers need to keep a few things in mind when navigating the complexities of the healthcare system. Robin Gelburd, president of FAIR Health , a national, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance, provides five key things for consumers to keep in mind when considering healthcare plans.