Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of announcements of one sort or another about some competitor companies that we thought we’d be sure you were aware of. First off, on the politically correct front, Starbucks announced that the company “stood against hate speech” and was therefore pausing all advertising on social media platforms. The company did not explain how or when it will decide to re-engage the public on social media, nor did it advise how to define hate speech without infringing on free speech with which the company may disagree. Last week, Panera announced that it was expanding its subscription option, “My Panera + coffee”, to include free coffee throughout the summer for those who enroll in the program by tomorrow, July 4. And finally a couple of notes on the Golden Arches, first, workers in two different McDonald’s restaurants – one in Oakland and the other in Chicago – won initial rounds in court alleging that he company had not done enough to protect them from COVID-19. The Oakland case was scheduled for a second hearing yesterday to determine whether the court’s initial temporary restraining order against the franchise owner should be converted into a preliminary injunction. In the Chicago matter, employees at 4 separate restaurants have filed a public nuisance lawsuit against the company alleging numerous safety protocol violations. The judge is expected to rule on the Chicago challenge sometime next week.