news

[keith in RI]

U.S. takes Mandela off terror list
Posted: 04:07 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former South African President Nelson Mandela is to be removed from U.S. terror watch lists under a bill President Bush signed Tuesday.

Mandela and other members of the African National Congress have been on the list because of their fight against South Africa's apartheid regime, which gave way to majority rule in 1994. The bill gives the State Department and Homeland Security Department the authority to waive restrictions against ANC members.

Sen. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, welcomed the move. "He had no place on our government's terror watch list, and I'm pleased to see this bill finally become law," Kerry said.


Court OKs IRS Swiss bank request
Posted: 05:52 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A federal judge Tuesday approved an unprecedented move by the Internal Revenue Service to seek Swiss bank records in a search for what it suspects could be up to $20 billion worth of assets hidden by U.S. taxpayers.

The order approved by U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard in Miami allows the IRS to get information from the banking giant UBS.

The case marked the first time U.S. government tax attorneys had sought permission to serve what are called "John Doe" summons to obtain information about possible tax fraud by citizens whose identities are not known.
–From CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden


Starbucks closing 600 stores in the US

2 hours ago

SEATTLE (AP) — Starbucks Corp. has announced it's closing 600 underperforming stores in the United States.

The Seattle-based premium coffee company also announced Tuesday it expects to open fewer than 200 new company-operated stores in the United States in fiscal 2009.

The company says it will try to place workers from closed stores in remaining Starbucks.

[error]

Sure, the IRS can go after them, but last I heard, UBS basically gave the IRS the finger.

[coffeeseven]

I said to my daughter this morning when you see a Starbucks go down then we got trouble. I thought it was weeks. Dang!

[Roycerson]

Starbucks was destined to take a fall eventually regardless of the economy.  The 5 dollar cup of coffee won't disappear entirely but as a fad it's about run it's course.

[KBCraig]

"Terrorist" or "freedom fighter" is in the eye of the beholder, but there is no doubt that Mandela was the revolutionary in charge of bomb-throwing in South Africa. Americans see him as a kind grandfatherly sort who was a political prisoner, but he was caught red-handed trying to blow things up.

His cause was just, but his methods were questionable. Mandela is no Gandhi. His tactics wouldn't be welcome on this forum. Someone on other forums might even call Mandela's tactics "superior defensive force", while others would call that an inexcusable justification for violence.

[J’raxis 270145]

Mandela freed his country from white control, only for his faction to take over.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Starbuck's coffee is about $1.80 per cup, a little more than Dunkin Donuts. They probably expanded too fast.  They are a 'destination' business and produce a good product.  Their customers will go to the stores that remain open.

[coffeeseven]

Starbuck's coffee is about $1.80 per cup, a little more than Dunkin Donuts. They probably expanded too fast.  They are a 'destination' business and produce a good product.  Their customers will go to the stores that remain open.

AS for the good product I agree. It's consistent and way better than pre-staled canned coffee BUT they are over priced per cup and by the pound. Their take away "pound" bags of coffee are only 12 oz instead of 16. That makes it about $12 a true pound.

[dalebert]

I think the $5 a cup is referring to some of their specialty drinks made with coffee that have a bunch of fancy stuph in them. I think that's where they really make their money.