Starbucks has stirred the coffee pot by reversing a policy that allowed anyone to use its bathrooms, with the US public warned they’ll need to buy something or get out.In a new code of conduct issued Monday, the hot drink behemoth that boasts 29,000 retail stores in 78 markets said it wanted  “to ensure our spaces are prioritized for use by our customers.”That includes the chain’s cafes, patios and restrooms, according to the policy, which Starbucks noted is something most retailers enforce.US retailers like Starbucks that bill themselves as a so-called “third space” — a gathering place outside the home or office — face a dilemma in a country where public restrooms are sparse.The question of bathroom access has been a fraught one for Starbucks, with the issue thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when two Black men were refused access to a branch bathroom while they waited for a friend.When they sat in the Philadelphia location’s seating area without ordering, staff called the police, sparking a PR disaster. The men were arrested but never charged.Following the debacle, Starbucks adopted an “open bathroom” policy meaning its restrooms — at the cafes that had them — would be open to all.But in 2022 interim chief executive Howard Schultz said the policy might have to end, owing to safety issues from people with mental health problems.- ‘Harden our stores’ -“We have to harden our stores and provide safety for our people,” Schultz said at the time. “I don’t know if we can keep our bathrooms open.”In one busy Manhattan location, where the policy was not yet displayed on the door as planned, a barista who declined to be named said “people are still gonna try and go in there — the homeless of course — that’s for sure.”The Midtown branch was equipped with a single toilet, fitted with a numerical lock, with a steady stream of people using the facility after obtaining the code from staff.”But if people follow the rules it should be better,” the barista added, suggesting the policy would make life easier for staff.At another location a few blocks away, an employee said “it’s fine” for non-paying visitors to use the restroom and the cafe seating area, apparently unaware of the new policy.Starbucks customer Noelle Devoe speculated on X that the policy would not be used against “college kids or professionals.” “It’ll just be a way for them to kick out those they feel are undesirable,” she said.Starbucks posted a 3 percent decline in global net revenue for the fourth quarter year-on-year, to $9.1 billion, in October 2024.The results showed that sales are continuing to fall, as the new CEO vowed a strategic overhaul to turn the company around.The caffeinated giant claims in its corporate motto to be “nurturing the human spirit… one neighborhood at a time.”

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday designated two large areas of California as protected national monuments, after the initial ceremony was called off due to wildfires breaking out in Los Angeles.Less than a week before Donald Trump is due to move into the  White House, Biden established the Chuckwalla National Monument, a 624,000-acre (252,500-hectare) area near Joshua Tree National Park in southern California.The move protects the land from drilling, mining, solar energy farms and other industrial activity, and comes after lobbying from Native American tribes who have used the land for millennia.He also declared the establishment of the 224,000-acre (91,000-hectare) Sattitla National Monument in the state’s far north, at the border with Oregon, offering that area the same environmental safeguards.”Our outdoor treasures are the pride of our country, the bond between the physical and spiritual world, a bridge to our past and to our future,” Biden, 82, said in a speech at the White House.Biden originally traveled to California last week to hold the signing ceremony with a picturesque nature backdrop, but was forced to call off the visit over extreme winds.The winds contributed to the rapid spread of multiple wildfires in Los Angeles, which have since destroyed thousands of structures and killed at least 24 people.As the wildfires continue to burn, Biden said Tuesday his administration was working with state leaders to “make sure California has every possible resource to fight these fires and help survivors.”Biden’s four-year term in office has seen the creation of eight other national monuments and the expansion of four more.”We have been carrying out the most agressive climate agenda ever in the history of the world,” Biden said, adding he was “proud” to have kept his commitment to protect more land and water than any other president.Last week, he signed an executive order banning offshore drilling in an immense area of coastal waters, encompassing the entire Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Pacific coast off California, Oregon and Washington, and a section of the Bering Sea off Alaska.Trump reduced the size of national monuments during his first term in the White House, and environmentalists fear the next four years could see similar chipping away at the protected status of public lands, as the Republican seeks to expand fossil fuel extraction.Biden’s proclamations are the latest in a string of last-minute climate policy actions that seem intended to frustrate what environmentalists fear will be the wrecking ball of another Trump presidency.In mid-December, the outgoing administration issued an ambitious new climate target under the landmark Paris accord, committing the United States to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 61-66 percent below 2005 levels by 2035, on the path to achieving net zero by 2050.

Powerful winds forecast for late Tuesday night threatened to whip up massive fires that are still burning around Los Angeles in a tragedy that has killed at least 24 people and badly shaken the city.A week after blazes erupted and spread uncontained, forecasters predicted “particularly dangerous” Santa Ana winds would spike the wildfire threat anew for already exhausted firefighters.”Stay aware of your surroundings. Be ready to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire,” the National Weather Service warned.A large part of Southern California was under a Red Flag warning, indicating that intense dryness and furious winds gusting up to 70 miles (110 kilometers) an hour would make conditions ripe for wildfire.Part of Los Angeles County and much of neighboring Ventura County were in a “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” according to the NWS, its highest warning designation that was also declared before last week’s deadly blazes. “All the plants and vegetation is really dry and ready to burn so… fires can grow pretty fast,” meteorologist Ryan Kittell told AFP.Forecasters said peak winds were now expected between 3am (1100 GMT) and 3pm (2300 GMT) on Wednesday. The Palisades and Eaton fires — both of which are still burning in places — could flare up, and new ignitions could quickly turn problematic, Kittell said.Officials insisted they were poised for any renewed threats, particularly around the existing burn sites, after hydrants ran dry in the initial firefight.”Please be assured that the Los Angeles County region is prepared,” fire chief Anthony Marrone said.”We have checked the water system in the Eaton fire area, and it is operational, meaning that we have water and we have pressure.”The renewed danger comes with 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares) of the upmarket Pacific Palisades in ruins and 14,000 acres (5,700 hectares) of the community of Altadena badly charred.Gusting winds were also whipping up toxic ash, with health officials urging everyone to wear a mask.”Ash is not just dirt,” said Anish Mahajan of the LA County Public Health Department. “It’s hazardous fine dust that can irritate or harm your respiratory system and other parts of your body where it lands.”California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday ordered debris removal teams to be on standby, as emergency managers look ahead to possible winter rainstorms that could provoke mudlsides.- ‘It was just a war’ -Around 88,000 people remain displaced. For those whose homes survived, there is frustration about not being able to return.For others, there is nothing left.”We all left with the clothes on our back,” Sonja Jackson told the Los Angeles Times as she waited in line for government help.”We thought we’d be able to come back in the morning. We didn’t think the fires were gonna do what they did.”Among the desperation, there were stories of fortitude.Jeff Ridgway told AFP how he had refused to abandon the apartment complex he manages, defending it against the fires by hauling buckets of water from the pool.”It was just a war,” the 67-year-old said, pointing to a charred eucalyptus tree he extinguished when it threatened the building last week.”But I was just stubborn. I was like: ‘I’m not going to be defeated by you. I’m sorry, this is just not gonna happen.'”- ‘Terrible’ -Search teams using cadaver dogs have been scouring the rubble for days in the hunt for dozens of people still unaccounted for, with Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna saying 1,800 homes were searched on Monday.”The good news was that no other remains were found yesterday. Hopefully that happens again today,” he said.”We don’t want the death toll to continue to go up.”Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel was back on the air Monday night after having to evacuate his studio last week when a blaze erupted in the Hollywood Hills, just a few hundred meters (yards) away.”It’s been a very scary, very stressful, very strange week here in LA, where we work, where we live, where our kids go to school,” an emotional Kimmel told his audience.”It’s been terrible. Everyone who lives in this city knows someone… whose house has burned down. And the truth is we don’t even know if it’s over.”With so many in dire straits, the city was clutching for any sliver of good news, with some taking refuge in local sports teams who were back in action.The Los Angeles Rams dominated the Minnesota Vikings in an NFL play-off game to take them one step closer to the Super Bowl, cheered on by fans brandishing flags and signs thanking firefighters.”We knew what we were playing for,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “It’s a tough time. We’re just happy that we came out and played like this tonight to get (fans) something to be happy about.”

Stock markets moved in different directions Tuesday with traders’ attention fixed on President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff plans, earnings updates and inflation data.A report suggesting Trump could impose import tariffs more slowly than initially feared provided support and put a cap on the dollar’s latest surge.However, traders remain concerned that his pledges to cut taxes, regulations and immigration will revive inflation.Market watchers have slashed their expectations on how many times the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates through 2025 to one.But some fear the Fed’s next move could even be a rate hike owing to still-sticky inflation and concerns over Trump’s policies.Data on Tuesday showed US wholesale inflation for December was lower than expected, with no change in the Producer Price Index over the month when volatile food and energy prices are excluded. Wall Street’s three main indexes opened higher, but moved in a choppy fashion thereafter. The Dow and S&P 500 finished with modest gains, while the Nasdaq retreated.Investors will be paying more attention to US and UK consumer price inflation data due on Wednesday, while American bank earnings will also be in focus.Investors are especially keen to  hear the companies’ expectations for the incoming Trump administration in Washington. JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs are among the companies reporting results.”There’s a lot of interest … in how they see the future,” Art Hogan of B. Riley Wealth Management said of expectations that Trump could ease bank regulation.In Europe, Frankfurt and Paris finished the day with gains but London slipped.In Asia, Hong Kong and Shanghai rallied as China’s securities regulator said it was looking at ways to provide more stability to markets.This followed another run of poor performances sparked by worries over the world-number-two economy and Trump’s threatened tariffs.The dollar traded mixed against major peers after Bloomberg reported that members of Trump’s team were looking at an initially limited increase in tariffs to boost their negotiating hand and tamper inflationary pressures.Oil prices pulled back following a series of gains.Among individual companies, Boeing fell 2.1 percent as the planemaker disclosed it had delivered just 348 commercial planes in 2024 following a labor strike and safety setbacks.Eli Lilly dropped 6.6 percent after it said 2024 revenues would be lower than previously thought.- Key figures around 2130 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 42,518.28 (close)New York – S&P: UP 0.1 percent at 5,842.91 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 19,044.39 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 8,201.54 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.2 percent at 7,423.67 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.7 percent at 20,271.33 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.8 percent at 38,474.30 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.8 percent at 19,219.78 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 2.5 percent at 3,240.94 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0310 from $1.0245 on MondayPound/dollar: UP at $1.2211 from $1.2202Dollar/yen: UP at 157.98 yen from 157.48 yenEuro/pound: UP at 84.40 pence from 83.96 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.7 percent at $77.50 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.4 percent at $79.92 per barrelburs-jmb/des