Starbucks' New Jolt Doesn't Involve Caffeine

Columbus, Indiana, and Casper, Wyoming top employment list

(NEWSER) - Recession—that's a big-city thing, right? Several mid-size cities around the US are making an argument for their economic superiority, boasting job growth higher than the 1.5% national average in 2011. You may not know these cities well, but the Christian Science Monitor recommends them:

1. Columbus, Indiana: No, not Ohio's Columbus: Indiana's version had 10% growth from 2009 to 2010, making it the best economic rebounder during the Great Recession. Jobs are up 6.4%.

But most remain upbeat about their future: Pew survey

(NEWSER) - The economy is doing a number on those aged 18 to 34, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center :

• Half say they have taken a job they didn't want.
• More than a third have gone back to school because of the job market.
• Nearly a quarter have taken unpaid work to gain experience.
• About a quarter have moved back in with the folks.
• More than 1 in 5 have postponed having a baby, and about the same number have put off getting married.

Frank Bruni on why Starbucks, Microsoft, and others are backing change

(NEWSER) - If you support gay marriage, maybe you should grab a latte at Starbucks sometime soon, because the company is under fire for its support of a same-sex marriage law in its native Washington state. One pastor even called the company " haters of God ," and demanded a boycott. So why has Starbucks taken such a controversial stand? For the same reason Microsoft, Amazon, and other corporate behemoths are backing same-sex marriage, reasons Frank Bruni of the New York Times : "It's the future." More»

Company is following Satan, says USA Christian Ministries chief

(NEWSER) - A pastor is calling on Christians to shun Starbucks because of its support of gay marriage in Washington state , reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer . "Starbucks is no longer fashionable," says USA Christian Ministries head Steven Andrew in a statement. He makes the case that the chain would lose 80% of its clientele if Christians united in the cause. "Starbucks can follow Satan if they want to," he says. (They're also "haters of God.") More»

As many as 50 locations could open by year's end

(NEWSER) - As promised , Starbucks is officially coming to India, and the first store will open by September. A senior executive at Tata Global Beverages, which is partnering with Starbucks for the venture, says that as many as 50 stores could open by the end of the year, and up to 3,000 stores could eventually pepper the country. It won't be the first foreign coffee chain: Lavazza of Italy and the US-based Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf have a presence in the country. But the dominant player is the Bangalore-based Café Coffee Day, which currently claims 1,200 stores, the New York Times reports. More»