'Insider Threats' to the Election, and Starbucks’ 4-Minute Goal

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Headlines by The New York Times
Episode: 'Insider Threats' to the Election, and Starbucks’ 4-Minute Goal
Release Date: October 31, 2024

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I. Election Integrity and Insider Threats

Overview: The episode delves into the ongoing U.S. elections, highlighting that over 50 million voters have already cast their ballots. While the election process has largely proceeded without major disruptions, underlying tensions persist due to concerns about political violence, foreign disinformation campaigns, and the integrity of vote counting.

Insider Threats and Election Officials: Journalist Alexandra Berzon discusses the alarming rise of "insider threats" within election offices. These threats involve individuals who, influenced by unfounded conspiracy theories—particularly those propagated by former President Donald Trump regarding election fraud—are positioned to impact the election process from within.

• Example from Michigan: Berzon cites a recent incident in Rock River, Michigan, where a clerk and his deputy attempted to implement hand counting of ballots. This method, favored by election denial activists, is criticized by experts for being unreliable and potentially disruptive. The Michigan Director of Elections intervened, stating, "their plan to do hand counting of ballots... is not legal in Michigan" (02:00).

Impact on Vote Counting: The state’s intervention in Michigan is not an isolated case. Another Michigan town had to revoke election supervision from a Republican clerk charged with attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. Berzon warns that similar actions by insiders could lead to widespread delays and disruptions in vote counting across various communities.

Political Ramifications: The episode also touches on the political fallout from these tensions. During a recent Zoom call, President Biden referred to Trump supporters as "garbage" (03:27), leading Vice President Kamala Harris to distance herself from the remarks. Harris stated, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for” (03:40). This incident has become a focal point for both Democratic and Republican campaigns, with the Trump campaign leveraging the comment in their messaging. Trump himself has a history of derogatory remarks, having referred to Democrats as "vermin" and "lunatics." Just last month, he called Harris surrounded by "absolute garbage" (06:24).

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II. Devastating Floods in Eastern Spain

Natural Disaster Overview: The podcast reports on severe flash floods that have struck eastern Spain, particularly the region of Valencia. The floods are among the worst natural disasters to hit the country in recent years, resulting in at least 95 deaths and numerous missing persons.

Reporter Insights: Emma Bubula, a Times reporter on the ground in Valencia, provides a harrowing account of the devastation.

• Bubula describes witnessing abandoned cars stuck in thick mud on highways, as drivers fled the rising waters (05:00).
• She recounts conversations with locals who experienced their vehicles being overtaken by rapidly rising water levels, sometimes reaching their chests or chins (05:17).
• Access to the most affected villages remains challenging, with broken bridges and inundated roads isolating these communities (05:55).

Human Impact: The floods have left entire villages cut off, complicating rescue and relief efforts. Bubula emphasizes the ongoing challenges faced by residents who are still isolated and struggling to comprehend the full scope of the devastation.

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III. Starbucks’ Strategic Shift Amid Sales Decline

Sales Decline and Customer Feedback: The CEO of Starbucks acknowledged in a recent investors' call that the company has experienced a significant sales decline, particularly a 10% drop in North American sales over the past year. Customers have voiced frustrations over long wait times and a chaotic in-store experience, detracting from the brand’s traditional cozy ambiance.

• CEO’s Statement: “We have to make it easier for our customers to get a cup of coffee” (06:21).

On-the-Ground Reporting: Julie Cresswell, a business reporter at the Times, reports from various Starbucks locations, highlighting the operational challenges faced by the chain.

• Stores are often overcrowded, juggling mobile orders and drive-thru services, creating a frantic environment (06:40).
• The complexity of customizable orders has overwhelmed baristas, making stores resemble "frantic frappuccino factories" rather than the inviting coffee shops they once were.

Strategic Response: In response to these challenges, Starbucks is setting an ambitious goal to deliver all orders within four minutes or less. The company aims to restore the relaxed ambiance by reintroducing elements such as ceramic mugs for customers who wish to enjoy their beverages leisurely (06:24).

Competitive Landscape: Cresswell observes that competitors are carving out niches by specializing in specific service aspects, such as exclusively drive-thrus or focusing solely on cold beverages. This specialization poses a strategic question for Starbucks: "Can it be everything for everyone, or is it trying to be too much?" (07:23).

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IV. Los Angeles Dodgers Win the World Series Amidst Pandemic Restrictions

Championship Victory: The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their eighth World Series title by defeating the New York Yankees. This victory is significant as it follows a major investment in superstar pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who was signed to a record-breaking $700 million, the largest contract in professional sports history (08:13).

Impact of COVID-19: Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the Dodgers were unable to hold a citywide celebration as they did in 2020, when the pandemic led to a shortened season and no large-scale festivities. However, plans are underway for a parade, with the team set to roll through downtown Los Angeles the following morning (08:08).

Symbolism of the Victory: The Dodgers' win is seen as a validation of their substantial financial investment and strategic acquisitions, particularly the inclusion of Ohtani. The victory adds to the team’s legacy, marking a triumphant moment despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

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Conclusion

In this episode of The Headlines, The New York Times provides comprehensive coverage of critical topics shaping the current landscape:

• Election Integrity: Highlighting the internal threats and misinformation jeopardizing the U.S. electoral process.
• Natural Disasters: Reporting on the catastrophic floods in eastern Spain and their impact on local communities.
• Business Challenges: Examining Starbucks’ struggle to balance operational efficiency with maintaining a welcoming customer environment amidst declining sales.
• Sports Triumphs: Celebrating the Dodgers’ World Series victory while navigating pandemic-related restrictions.

By weaving together reports from journalists on the ground and insights from key figures, the episode offers a nuanced understanding of these pressing issues.

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For more in-depth stories and updates, subscribe to The New York Times Audio app available on iOS at nytimes.com/audioapp.

Transcript

[Michael J. Fox]

Did you know that every six minutes someone in the US Is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease? Chances are you know someone impacted by Parkinson's. It's the fastest growing brain disease in the world and there's no known cure. But you can help change that. Thanks to a major breakthrough last year, the Michael J. Fox foundation for Parkinson's Research is closer than ever to finding a cure. Your support can make a difference. Visit michaeljfox.org donatenow. That's michaeljfox.org donate now. From the New York Times, it's the headlines.

[Tracy Mumford]

I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Thursday, October 31st. Here's what we're covering. Across the U.S. more than 50 million voters have already cast their ballots. The election's mostly been running smoothly, but the country is still on edge. Authorities have warned about political violence and foreign powers spreading disinformation. There are also concerns about how the actual counting of the votes will play out.

[Alexandra Berzon]

One of the concerns that state and local election officials have right now is what they call insider threats. These would be people who are kind of well positioned or even running elections offices who would have ability to impact the election based on conspiracy theories.

[Tracy Mumford]

Alexandra Berzon covers voting for the Times. She says that people steeped in Donald Trump's false claims about rigged elections are now in some cases in charge of the election process in communities across the country.

[Alexandra Berzon]

One example of this that came up just this week, in fact, is an incident that's been happening in Michigan in a very small town called Rock River. And there you had a clerk and his deputy who have taken over the election systems there. And he has decided that they want to do hand counting of ballots, which is an idea that's been promoted by a lot of the election denial activist groups that election experts and election officials really say could be disruptive to elections because it can slow down the process. It's actually not as reliable, it's been shown as machines are. And the director of elections in Michigan sent a letter earlier this week to the clerks relieving them of their duties in the elections and basically saying that they could not oversee the elections because their plan to do hand counting of ballots the state says is not legal in Michigan.

[Tracy Mumford]

Alexandra spoke with the clerk who was removed. He argued that he was protecting the integrity of the election. The state of Michigan already had to take over supervision of elections in another town after the Republican clerk there was charged with a felony for his role in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Alexandra says other people steeped in the false theories have gotten involved this year by volunteering to be poll monitors. They're supposed to document disputes and irregularities at the polls. But this year, she says, many feel their role is to provide proof of Trump's claims of fraud, and officials are concerned they could delay or even disrupt vote counts. Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, President Biden's remarks from a zoom call earlier this week are continuing to haunt Kamala Harris. Biden appeared to call Trump supporters garbage on the call, though he since said he was actually calling racist rhetoric garbage.

[Kamala Harris]

First of all, I think that the president has explained what he meant, but I said it earlier. I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.

[Tracy Mumford]

Harris has faced repeated questions about the comments and tried to separate herself from them. The vice president had already been trying to keep her distance from Biden. She did not include him at her Tuesday rally, even though it was just a few hundred yards from the White House. Harris campaign officials tell the Times they view Biden as a liability and we're concerned about potential gaffes even before his garbage comment. For their part, the Trump campaign has been going all in on the sound bite. Trump even posed for photos at a Wisconsin campaign stop in a garbage truck. Trump has a long history of disparaging comments of his own. He's called Democrats vermin, lunatics and the enemy within. Just last month, he said Harris was surrounded by terrible people, calling them, quote, absolute garbage. In eastern Spain, flash floods have wreaked havoc in one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country in years. At least 95 people are dead and more are missing, and the torrential rainfall was off the charts. In one town in eastern Valencia, nearly a year's worth of rain fell in just eight hours. It washed away homes, bridges and roads, and the full scope of the devastation is still unclear.

[Emma Bubula]

I saw tons of cars just abandoned on the highway on thick layers of mud that drivers had kind of left there to run away from the water.

[Tracy Mumford]

Times reporter Emma Bubula is in Valencia, where the storm caught many people unaware.

[Emma Bubula]

All of the people I spoke to had similar stories of just being in their car and slowly seeing the water levels climbing up and reaching their legs, their chest, even their chins. Sometimes I tried to go out to some of the villages that were the hardest hit, but it was very hard to get there because many bridges and roads were either broken or inundated by the water. And a lot of these villages are still completely isolated from the rest of the country.

[Starbucks CEO]

Right now. We aren't always at our best I've heard that while people love Starbucks, some feel like we have drifted from our core. We've made it harder.

[Tracy Mumford]

In a call with investors yesterday, the CEO of Starbucks acknowledged the coffee giant has been struggling. Starbucks has seen a 10% drop in sales in North America in just the past year as customers have complained about long wait times and the chaotic feeling in stores as they jostle for their drinks.

[Starbucks CEO]

We have to make it easier for our customers to get a cup of coffee.

[Julie Cresswell]

So in reporting this over the last couple of weeks, I actually went to a number of Starbucks and saw the challenges firsthand. I think first of all, they were all slammed. They had mobile orders that they were shuffling out. They had people going through the drive through. So they were just trying to get the orders through.

[Tracy Mumford]

Julie Cresswell is a business reporter at the Times. She says Starbucks had been riding a wave in recent years, luring in customers with expanded drive thrus and ever more customizable drinks. But the complex orders have bogged down baristas and the focus on to go orders made the stores feel more like frantic frappuccino factories instead of cozy coffee shops. Now the company's CEO says he's setting a goal of delivering all orders in four minutes or less, and he wants people to enjoy the ambiance again. For example, some stores will lean into using ceramic mugs for customers who want to linger. But Julie says that for Starbucks, vibes are not the only issue.

[Julie Cresswell]

So whereas Starbucks is trying to do hot food, hot drinks, you know, beverages, they want to be a cafe, they want to have mobile orders, they want to have drive thru, you're seeing competitors in different parts of the country that are just cleaving off sort of one piece of that. So they're just going to do the only drive throughs and only cold beverages is going to be what they're focusing on and other competitors that are truly just a sit down cafe experience. So I think that's one of the more interesting questions around Starbucks. Is it, can it be everything for everyone or is it trying to be too much.

[Tracy Mumford]

And finally start the party?

[Starbucks CEO]

Los Angeles, your Dodgers have won the World Series.

[Tracy Mumford]

The Dodgers roared back to beat the New York Yankees last night and win their eighth World Series title. For the Los Angeles team, the win validates the massive spending spree it took to pull this team together to get superstar Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers offered him the largest contract in pro sports history. $700 million over 10 years. The last time the Dodgers won the World series was in 2020, but that came with an asterisk. It was a short season because of the pandemic. And Covid restrictions meant there was no citywide celebration this year. The Dodgers will get their parade. They'll roll through downtown Los Angeles tomorrow morning. Those are the headlines today on the Daily A look at how the relationship between black Americans and the Democratic Party is changing through the story of one family in Georgia. That's next in the New York Times audio app, where you can listen wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.