USPS Expands Electric Vehicle Fleet as Nationwide Transition Accelerates 
Firelight Launches as First XRP Staking Platform on Flare, Introduces DeFi Cover Feature 
Trump Administration to Secure Equity Stake in Pat Gelsinger’s XLight Startup 
YouTube Agrees to Follow Australia’s New Under-16 Social Media Ban 
Magnum Audit Flags Governance Issues at Ben & Jerry’s Foundation Ahead of Spin-Off 
Australia Moves Forward With Teen Social Media Ban as Platforms Begin Lockouts 
UPS MD-11 Crash Prompts Families to Prepare Wrongful Death Lawsuit 
IKEA Launches First New Zealand Store, Marking Expansion Into Its 64th Global Market 
ExxonMobil to Shut Older Singapore Steam Cracker Amid Global Petrochemical Downturn 
GM Issues Recall for 2026 Chevrolet Silverado Trucks Over Missing Owner Manuals 
Tesla Faces 19% Drop in UK Registrations as Competition Intensifies 
Proxy Advisors Urge Vote Against ANZ’s Executive Pay Report Amid Scandal Fallout 
Netflix’s Bid for Warner Bros Discovery Aims to Cut Streaming Costs and Reshape the Industry 
Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation 
EU Prepares Antitrust Probe Into Meta’s AI Integration on WhatsApp 
Anthropic Reportedly Taps Wilson Sonsini as It Prepares for a Potential 2026 IPO 
Tesla Expands Affordable Model 3 Lineup in Europe to Boost EV Demand 
Starbucks is taking precautions amid the planned protest in Manhattan prior to Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, Jan. 20. It was confirmed that several outlets of the coffee chain giant have been temporarily closed as the protest could turn violent or disorderly.
Starbucks closed business due to the demonstration
"Out of an abundance of caution and in keeping the employees’ and customers’ safety top of mind, local leaders have made the decision to close select stores in the Manhattan area due to potential protests happening today,'' USA Today quoted Starbucks as saying in a statement that was released earlier.
It was confirmed by the Starbucks spokesperson that they have shut down business for some of the stores around Manhattan. The company stated that the decision was a response to the local leaders’ move to prevent untoward events such as vandalism and damage to life and properties that can happen if the protest turned uncontrollable and hostile.
Local leaders take steps to avoid unruly incidents
Surely, the carnage at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month left the country unsettled. The citizens and local leaders are even more concerned today after speculations about more upcoming violent protests are making rounds online.
Fox Business reported that governors in different states have even closed their state Capitols as a measure to avoid similar events that happened in Washington on Jan. 6. With that said, businesses have also taken extra precautions because they have seen not just what happened at the Capitol but in the 2020 brutal protest in New York where stores have been vandalized and looted.
The New York Police confirmed that they are bracing for the protest that was scheduled to take place on Sunday (US time). Then again, they clarified that they are not expecting a level that there is a need to close down businesses around the town.
“We have no indication that they are going to be large or disorderly,” the spokesperson of NYPD stated. “I don’t know why Starbucks would be shutting down their businesses.”
Finally, while the police are not expecting a violent march, the NYPD officials said that they will be maintaining a robust presence in the area, especially in locations connected to Donald Trump, such as the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.
