Three things for October 20
1. AMC Theaters now offering full theatre rentals
AMC Theaters are now presenting new and creative ways for fans to view their favorite films safely.
AMC theaters are now renting out entire theaters to groups of up to twenty people for $99. Moviegoers will have a choice of 17 different movies, including older options such as “Shrek” or “Monsters Inc.”
For an additional cost, theaters provide extra features such as a microphone to introduce guests over the speakers.
AMC has reopened 500 of its 600 theaters across the U.S. However, AMC’s owners said last week that the company could run out of money by the end of the year if they did not see more business.
2. Some states not counting ballot if voter dies before election day
With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting a large percentage of the voting population, concerns about ballot complications have arisen this election season. If a person votes but dies before Election Day, voters are concerned if their ballot will still be counted.
People who are 85 years or older represent a significant part of the voting population and represent one in three deaths from COVID-19 in America.
In 17 states, it is prohibited to count a vote if the voter passes away before Election Day; however, death records can take a long time to be recorded and updated.
“In Michigan’s primary earlier this year, up to 864 ballots were thrown out due to the voter passing away even though they were alive when they filled them out,” reports AP News.
Justin Levitt, an election law expert, said voter fraud occurs rarely. According to Levitt, counting the ballot of a deceased person is typically done to honor the wishes of a late loved one.
Election officials claim that when voter fraud takes place, the voter is found and prosecuted. In the case of the deceased, it takes time for records to be updated, and there is a narrow margin of time between the ballot being cast and counted.
3. Starbucks announces new initiatives for diversity training
In response to recent racial justice movements in the U.S., Starbucks has announced its new plan to provide diversity training for all employees.
According to ABC News, Starbucks is looking to achieve its diversity goals by compensating executives for building inclusive and diverse teams.
“We will hold ourselves accountable at the highest levels of the organization connecting to the building of inclusive and diverse teams to our executive compensation program, effective immediately,“ CEO Kevin Johnson said in a letter to the employees on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Starbucks also announced a series of steps to ensure they implement diversity and inclusion into the company mission. The company set a goal of ensuring Black, Indigenous and people of color within all corporate levels and providing at least 40% representation in all retail and manufacturing roles by 2025.
The Starbucks Foundation will provide $1.5 million in grants to community-based profits to focus on “local impact.”
“These grants aim to uplift organizations led by and that serve Black communities and will support nearly 400 organizations across the country,” said Johnson.
Starbucks, among other companies, is taking steps to provide diversity and inclusion within the workplace in response to the many racial justice movements that began over the summer.
