Latest news with #Sharpie
2 days ago
- Politics
Trump sent handwritten note to Powell calling for lower interest rates
During Monday's briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt held up the note to reporters, which appeared to have been written by President Donald Trump using his signature black Sharpie.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Inside Starbucks' remodeling plans — and the swanky NY town where it's starting
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is looking to jumpstart the struggling coffee chain by making the java giant's locations more welcoming — and the company unveiled its first remodeled store in the Hamptons. The renovations add plush seating, open outlets for customer use and soft lighting to encourage customers to stay longer as part of Niccol's ambitious turnaround plan. 'It's creating comfortable seating where people want to come in. It's not just the quick grab-and-go concept,' Mike Grams, Starbucks' chief operating officer, told CNN during an interview Friday at the Bridgehampton outpost. 3 A newly-remodeled Starbucks location in Bridgehampton, New York. Starbucks 'Maybe over past years, we lost our way a little bit on that.' The remodeled location — one of four that have been redesigned in the swanky Hamptons — has deep green walls and a mix of light- and dark-brown wood. Plants and bowls of coffee beans decorate the store, with an open espresso bar and a digital menu board, according to the CNN report. Customers chatted as they lounged in cushioned armchairs, orange booth seats and high-top tables, while others worked on their laptops at small tables. The comfy setting is a stark change from Starbucks' efforts to keep the masses caffeinated and out the door as fast as possible. Over the past few years, some 30,000 seats have been ripped out from locations and replaced with wooden stools. Electrical outlets were covered to turn away laptop users and takeout counters were built to cater to customers on the go. But that strategy backfired. Same-store sales have fallen for five quarters in a row as customers have pivoted to local coffee shops and smaller chains. Niccol, largely credited with boosting results at Chipotle and Taco Bell, was brought in last year to revive the Seattle-based company. 3 The remodeled locations will have plush seating, open outlets and soft lighting. Starbucks He plans to remodel 1,000 Starbucks stores, or about 10% of its company-owned US locations, over the next year. Each redesign will vary, but they will all include new lighting, colors and better acoustics, according to Meredith Sandland, a former Taco Bell executive who was hired as Starbucks' chief coffeehouse development officer in February. Locations will also offer a variety of different seating to cater to customers holding meetings, reading a book or working on their laptop, Sandland said. Since taking over last September, Niccol has already brought back self-serve condiment stations and cut 30% of the menu. He also led a purchase of around 200,000 Sharpie pens so baristas can doodle messages on cups and implemented free refills for sit-down customers in ceramic mugs. 3 A Starbucks location in Times Square, Manhattan. The goal is to return Starbucks to a coveted 'third place' – a spot where people can linger in between work and home. 'I think of a 'third place' as a place that should be warm and welcoming (and) feel a little bit more like a hotel lobby than maybe a fast food restaurant,' Sandland told CNN. Starbucks largely lost that image as it opened more drive-thru locations and focused on mobile orders, which make up more than a third of the company's sales. But the coffee chain is letting some of its nostalgic staples stay in the past, like its cushy purple armchairs, which Starbucks retired in 2008. They were difficult to clean and the fabric easily grew worn, the company said. 'You will see something similar to it returning to our stores,' Sandland told CNN. 'Will it be purple? I don't know. I'll tease that one out.'
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michael Penix Jr. on playing with Ryan Neuzil, Matt Ryan's advice, offseason plan
In our interview with Michael Penix Jr., the second-year QB discussed his familiarity with starting center Ryan Neuzil, what he learned from Matt Ryan, and how he's adjusting to life as QB1 When the Atlanta Falcons arrive for training camp in a few weeks, all eyes will be on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. After spending his rookie year as the backup to Kirk Cousins, Penix enters Year 2 as the team's unquestioned starting quarterback. We spoke with the former top-10 pick about a variety of topics, including his chemistry with center Ryan Neuzil, the advice he received from Matt Ryan, his approach to being named Atlanta's QB1, and his partnership with Sharpie. What was the biggest thing you learned during your rookie season? Penix: The biggest thing is just learning the speed of the game and, you know, just the understanding of the game, how it works, the ins and outs and how to be successful. How has being named the starting QB affected your approach to the offseason/ ability to lead the team? Penix: I wouldn't say it affected my approach. Obviously, as far as getting reps with the first-team guys, you know, that's definitely a big-time difference that I've been going through. But it's been good, though, so I've been excited. Each and every offseason my approach is the same. What is one area of your game that you'd still like to improve upon? Penix: I would say just connecting with my guys. Obviously, it's still early. We've still got some more time. We've got camp coming up so just being able to have that connection with them so we're always on the same page. How has meeting with Falcons legends Matt Ryan and Mike Vick helped prepare you for the season? Penix: I met with Matt Ryan and I've talked to Vick here and there you know, but just their plan, their offseason plan, that's the biggest thing. Being a rookie last year, this is my first offseason I've had so just understanding how to attack the offseason and do it the right way so that whenever your second year comes up you know how it's supposed to look. Do you have any experience playing with Ryan Neuzil and how do you think he'll fare taking over for Drew Dalman? Penix: Every day, that's who I was rolling with in practice so we've got a good chemistry. He's going to ball man. He's going to do a great job for us. He's a very smart player and he has what he needs to have to be able to be successful. What has it been like partnering with Sharpie? Penix: Tuesday marked the first year that I've been with Sharpie. The partnership that we have has been amazing, and using that Sharpie S-Gel pen for signing my first contract in the NFL. Obviously, it's going on right now -- all the rookies are signing their contracts so I'm just hoping they are using that Sharpie S-Gel pen too. I've been using Sharpie since I was a little kid and I think everybody that has played sports picked up a Sharpie as a little kid., So it's just a blessing to be a part of it.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
How the Birthright Citizenship and Nationwide Injunctions Case Began
In mid-May, the Supreme Court took the bench for a rare emergency oral argument, which had been tacked on to the end of the term. The case focused on whether a single federal judge had the power to freeze a federal policy for the entire country, a long-simmering debate. Despite the dry-sounding legal issue, the case involved something urgent: an executive order signed by President Trump on his first day back in office. In fewer than 800 words, and with a signature scrawled in thick Sharpie, the president declared an end to birthright citizenship, the principle that children born in the United States are citizens. Birthright citizenship is rooted in English common law. It was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution in 1868 in the 14th Amendment, which reads: 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.' In one of its most notorious cases, Dred Scott, the Supreme Court in 1857 denied citizenship to the descendants of slaves, helping prompt the Civil War. The 14th Amendment erased that finding and expanded citizenship to almost anyone born in the United States. In 1898, the justices again considered birthright citizenship in the case of Wong Kim Ark. Mr. Wong was born in San Francisco's Chinatown, the child of parents who were part of a wave of Chinese laborers who came to the United States in the mid-1800s. Officials argued that birthright citizenship did not apply to him because he and his parents were not 'subject to the jurisdiction' of the United States when he was born. The Supreme Court disagreed. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ace Bailey's reps told team with top-five pick not to draft Rutgers wing: Report
In the lead-up to the NBA Draft, Ace Bailey's reps told a team with a top-five pick not to select the Rutgers wing — and that Bailey wouldn't report to the organization if it drafted him anyway — according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Tim Bontemps. ESPN's report doesn't disclose which team in the top five Bailey's reps wanted to steer clear of the 6-foot-8 freshman. Advertisement The Utah Jazz ended up picking Bailey No. 5 overall. The Jazz's new president of basketball operations, Austin Ainge, spoke with reporters Wednesday night and expressed excitement about landing a prospect of Bailey's caliber despite owning only the fifth selection after entering the lottery tied for the best No. 1 pick odds. "He's great," Ainge said of Bailey, via ESPN. "We were able to speak with him. He was super excited. We're super excited. We're expecting a very bright future. His scoring gets a lot of attention, [and] deservedly so. He's very skilled for his size. But watching a lot of film on him, I was impressed with his defensive effort and particularly his rebounding. Lot of weak side block shots, and his joy and energy for the game." Ainge, the son of longtime Boston Celtics executive and current Jazz CEO and alternate governor Danny Ainge, added: "We do a lot of background calls and work on guys, and everyone loves being around Ace." Bailey, along with Florida guard and reigning national champion Walter Clayton Jr., are the latest newcomers to join a Jazz roster littered with youth. Advertisement 'I fit in good because we all young, so we all got a lot to learn,' Bailey said, via The Athletic. 'We can play with each other, get to know each other, how we play, how we fit in, what works, and then also, I don't know a lot about Utah, but I'm learning as we go. "I know it's cold and it's hot. It get cold and it get hot here. Gotta find me a place with a good a good heater." As for the other four teams in the top five, the Dallas Mavericks kicked off the draft by making Duke forward Cooper Flagg the youngest No. 1 overall pick since LeBron James in 2003. Then the San Antonio Spurs grabbed Bailey's Rutgers teammate, guard Dylan Harper, with the No. 2 overall pick. Those two picks could have been written in Sharpie days before the draft. PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 9: Ace Bailey #4 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights shoots the ball as Dawson Garcia #3 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers defends during the second half at Jersey Mike's Arena on March 9, 2025 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by) (Ed Mulholland via Getty Images) Things got interesting at No. 3, where the Philadelphia 76ers sat Wednesday night. Bailey, who chose not to participate in workouts with individual teams before the draft, notably canceled a scheduled visit with the Sixers earlier this month. Advertisement Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey told reporters Wednesday night that Bailey's refusal to work out for the team didn't play a part in Philadelphia's decision to pick Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe. At No. 4 overall, the Charlotte Hornets drafted Duke wing Kon Knueppel. Bailey was the only U.S.-based prospect who didn't meet with a single team outside of the combine. "Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago," Bailey's agent, Omar Cooper, told ESPN. "He did 18 interviews. Everyone got his medical. They watched him run and jump. They got his measurements. Advertisement Cooper continued, via ESPN: "No one said anything when Davion Mitchell canceled a workout with the Toronto Raptors. No one criticized Evan Mobley when he didn't work out for Cleveland, and they drafted him anyway." "There is nothing uncommon about how Ace Bailey's pre-draft process was handled." Approaching the draft, ESPN's Givony reported that the Washington Wizards at No. 6 overall, the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 7 overall and the Brooklyn Nets at No. 8 overall were preferred destinations for Bailey and his camp. The Wizards, in particular, were a popular landing spot for Bailey in mock drafts, including in Kevin O'Connor's for Yahoo Sports. Bailey said Wednesday night he had "no idea" the Jazz were interested in drafting him, but they took him with the No. 5 overall pick.
