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After Minneapolis, Tech CEOs Are Struggling to Stay Silent

After Minneapolis, Tech CEOs Are Struggling to Stay Silent

It was November 12, 2016, four days after Donald Trump won his first presidential election. Aside from a few outliers (looking at you, Peter Thiel), almost everyone in the tech world was shocked and appalled. At a conference I attended that Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said it was “a pretty crazy idea” to think that his company had anything to do with the outcome. The following Saturday, I was leaving my favorite breakfast place in downtown Palo Alto when I ran into Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple. We knew each other, but at that point, I had never really sat down with him to do a deep interview. But this was a moment when raw emotions were triggering all sorts of conversations, even between journalists and famously cautious executives. We ended up talking for what must have been 20 minutes.

I won’t go into the particulars of a private conversation. But it will surprise no one to hear what was mutually understood on that streetcorner: We were two people stunned at what had happened and shared the same unspoken belief that it was not good.

I have thought back to that day many times, certainly last year when Cook gifted President Trump a glitzy Apple sculpture with a 24k gold base, and most recently this past weekend when he attended a White House screening of the $40 million vanity documentary about Melania Trump. The event, which also included Amazon CEO Andy Jassy (whose company funded the project) and AMD CEO Lisa Su, took place only hours after the Trump administration’s masked army in Minneapolis put 10 bullets into 37-year-old Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse Alex Pretti. Also, a snowstorm was coming, which would have provided a good excuse to miss an event that might very well haunt its attendees for the rest of their lives. But there was Cook, feting a competitor’s media product, looking sharp in a tuxedo, and posing with the movie’s director, who hadn’t worked since he was accused of sexual misconduct or harassment by half a dozen women. (He has denied the allegations.)

Cook’s presence reflects the behavior of many of his peers in the trillion-dollar tech CEO club, all of whom run businesses highly vulnerable to the president’s potential ire. During Trump’s first term, CEOs of companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google straddled a tightrope between objecting to policies that violated their company’s values and cooperating with the federal government. In the past year, however, their default strategy, executed with varying degrees of enthusiasm, has been to lavishly flatter the president and cut deals where Trump can claim wins. These executives have also funneled millions toward Trump’s inauguration, his future presidential library, and the humongous ballroom that he is building to replace the demolished East Wing of the White House. In return, the corporate leaders hoped to blunt the impact of tariffs and avoid onerous regulations.

This behavior disappointed a lot of people, including me. When Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post, he was seen as a civic hero, but now he is molding the opinion pages of that venerable institution into that of a White House cheerleader. Zuckerberg once cofounded a group that advocated for immigration reform and penned an op-ed bemoaning the uncertain future of a young entrepreneur he was coaching who happened to be undocumented. Last year, Zuckerberg formally cut ties with the group, but by then he had already positioned himself as a Trump toady.

When Googlers protested Trump’s immigration policies during his first term, cofounder Sergey Brin joined their march. “I wouldn’t be where I am today or have any kind of the life that I have today if this was not a brave country that really stood out and spoke for liberty,” said Brin, whose family had escaped Russia when he was 6. Today, families like his are being pulled out of their cars and classrooms, sent to detention centers, and flown out of the country. Brin and fellow cofounder Larry Page built their search engine on the kind of government grant that the Trump administration no longer supports. Nonetheless, Brin is a Trump supporter. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, himself an immigrant, oversaw Google’s $22 million contribution to the White House ballroom and was among tech grandees flattering Trump at a September White House dinner where CEOs competed to see who could pander to Trump the most insincerely. Another immigrant, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, once slammed Trump’s first-term policies as “cruel and abusive.” In 2025, he was among those offering hosannas to the president.

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#Minneapolis #Tech #CEOs #Struggling #Stay #Silent

If you survived the great Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup shortage of 2025, grab your emotional support water bottles, because we’re about to do it all over again.

Starbucks just announced that it’s bringing back the notoriously viral, instantly sold-out bear glass, but this time, it’s getting a bright summer makeover. Enter: the Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup.

Inspired by the Pink Drink, this limited-edition cup is pretty much destined to break the internet (though all the Gilmore Girlies were probs to blame for the beanie version selling out so quickly). The new glass features the bear wearing a little pink hat and comes with a strawberry straw topper. I fear the Stanley Stans will be to blame for this sell-out.

Starbucks has dropped a new Pink Drink Bearista Cup — how to get yours today
                                                            If you survived the great Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup shortage of 2025, grab your emotional support water bottles, because we’re about to do it all over again.Starbucks just announced that it’s bringing back the notoriously viral, instantly sold-out bear glass, but this time, it’s getting a bright summer makeover. Enter: the Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup.Inspired by the Pink Drink, this limited-edition cup is pretty much destined to break the internet (though all the Gilmore Girlies were probs to blame for the beanie version selling out so quickly). The new glass features the bear wearing a little pink hat and comes with a strawberry straw topper. I fear the Stanley Stans will be to blame for this sell-out.
        
            Mashable Trend Report
        
        
    


        
        
                                        
                
                                            Starbucks is bringing back its viral bear glass with a bright, pink summer makeover starting July 13.
                                                                Credit: Starbucks
                                    
                    
        
                                        
                
                                            The new Pink Drink-inspired Bearista cup features an adorable pink hat and a matching strawberry straw topper.
                                                                Credit: Starbucks
                                    
                    
    

If you don’t want to pay ridiculous reseller markups on eBay this time around, here’s a quick rundown on how and when to get one:
Brick-and-mortar: You should be able to purchase one in-store at select Starbucks coffeehouses on July 13. (Starbucks is enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer.) The cups will be available in the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.Starbucks Shop: Starbucks Reserve members will get early access via the Starbucks Shop on July 9. Note: This is not the same thing as being a standard “Rewards member.” Reserve members are the highest tier of the Rewards program. (I’m a Gold status member myself.) Reserve status members earn 2,500 stars in a single year.May the odds be ever in your favor next month. Since I haven’t hit that coveted Reserve status yet, I’ll most likely be hitting up my local Starbucks until I can find one in stock.

                    
                                    #Starbucks #dropped #Pink #Drink #Bearista #Cup #today

Starbucks is bringing back its viral bear glass with a bright, pink summer makeover starting July 13. Credit: Starbucks

A promotional lifestyle photo showcasing the limited-edition Starbucks Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup filled with a light pink beverage.

The new Pink Drink-inspired Bearista cup features an adorable pink hat and a matching strawberry straw topper. Credit: Starbucks

If you don’t want to pay ridiculous reseller markups on eBay this time around, here’s a quick rundown on how and when to get one:

  • Brick-and-mortar: You should be able to purchase one in-store at select Starbucks coffeehouses on July 13. (Starbucks is enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer.) The cups will be available in the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

  • Starbucks Shop: Starbucks Reserve members will get early access via the Starbucks Shop on July 9. Note: This is not the same thing as being a standard “Rewards member.” Reserve members are the highest tier of the Rewards program. (I’m a Gold status member myself.) Reserve status members earn 2,500 stars in a single year.

May the odds be ever in your favor next month. Since I haven’t hit that coveted Reserve status yet, I’ll most likely be hitting up my local Starbucks until I can find one in stock.

#Starbucks #dropped #Pink #Drink #Bearista #Cup #today">Starbucks has dropped a new Pink Drink Bearista Cup — how to get yours today
                                                            If you survived the great Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup shortage of 2025, grab your emotional support water bottles, because we’re about to do it all over again.Starbucks just announced that it’s bringing back the notoriously viral, instantly sold-out bear glass, but this time, it’s getting a bright summer makeover. Enter: the Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup.Inspired by the Pink Drink, this limited-edition cup is pretty much destined to break the internet (though all the Gilmore Girlies were probs to blame for the beanie version selling out so quickly). The new glass features the bear wearing a little pink hat and comes with a strawberry straw topper. I fear the Stanley Stans will be to blame for this sell-out.
        
            Mashable Trend Report
        
        
    


        
        
                                        
                
                                            Starbucks is bringing back its viral bear glass with a bright, pink summer makeover starting July 13.
                                                                Credit: Starbucks
                                    
                    
        
                                        
                
                                            The new Pink Drink-inspired Bearista cup features an adorable pink hat and a matching strawberry straw topper.
                                                                Credit: Starbucks
                                    
                    
    

If you don’t want to pay ridiculous reseller markups on eBay this time around, here’s a quick rundown on how and when to get one:
Brick-and-mortar: You should be able to purchase one in-store at select Starbucks coffeehouses on July 13. (Starbucks is enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer.) The cups will be available in the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.Starbucks Shop: Starbucks Reserve members will get early access via the Starbucks Shop on July 9. Note: This is not the same thing as being a standard “Rewards member.” Reserve members are the highest tier of the Rewards program. (I’m a Gold status member myself.) Reserve status members earn 2,500 stars in a single year.May the odds be ever in your favor next month. Since I haven’t hit that coveted Reserve status yet, I’ll most likely be hitting up my local Starbucks until I can find one in stock.

                    
                                    #Starbucks #dropped #Pink #Drink #Bearista #Cup #today

Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup shortage of 2025, grab your emotional support water bottles, because we’re about to do it all over again.

Starbucks just announced that it’s bringing back the notoriously viral, instantly sold-out bear glass, but this time, it’s getting a bright summer makeover. Enter: the Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup.

Inspired by the Pink Drink, this limited-edition cup is pretty much destined to break the internet (though all the Gilmore Girlies were probs to blame for the beanie version selling out so quickly). The new glass features the bear wearing a little pink hat and comes with a strawberry straw topper. I fear the Stanley Stans will be to blame for this sell-out.

Starbucks has dropped a new Pink Drink Bearista Cup — how to get yours today
                                                            If you survived the great Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup shortage of 2025, grab your emotional support water bottles, because we’re about to do it all over again.Starbucks just announced that it’s bringing back the notoriously viral, instantly sold-out bear glass, but this time, it’s getting a bright summer makeover. Enter: the Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup.Inspired by the Pink Drink, this limited-edition cup is pretty much destined to break the internet (though all the Gilmore Girlies were probs to blame for the beanie version selling out so quickly). The new glass features the bear wearing a little pink hat and comes with a strawberry straw topper. I fear the Stanley Stans will be to blame for this sell-out.
        
            Mashable Trend Report
        
        
    


        
        
                                        
                
                                            Starbucks is bringing back its viral bear glass with a bright, pink summer makeover starting July 13.
                                                                Credit: Starbucks
                                    
                    
        
                                        
                
                                            The new Pink Drink-inspired Bearista cup features an adorable pink hat and a matching strawberry straw topper.
                                                                Credit: Starbucks
                                    
                    
    

If you don’t want to pay ridiculous reseller markups on eBay this time around, here’s a quick rundown on how and when to get one:
Brick-and-mortar: You should be able to purchase one in-store at select Starbucks coffeehouses on July 13. (Starbucks is enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer.) The cups will be available in the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.Starbucks Shop: Starbucks Reserve members will get early access via the Starbucks Shop on July 9. Note: This is not the same thing as being a standard “Rewards member.” Reserve members are the highest tier of the Rewards program. (I’m a Gold status member myself.) Reserve status members earn 2,500 stars in a single year.May the odds be ever in your favor next month. Since I haven’t hit that coveted Reserve status yet, I’ll most likely be hitting up my local Starbucks until I can find one in stock.

                    
                                    #Starbucks #dropped #Pink #Drink #Bearista #Cup #today

Starbucks is bringing back its viral bear glass with a bright, pink summer makeover starting July 13. Credit: Starbucks

A promotional lifestyle photo showcasing the limited-edition Starbucks Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup filled with a light pink beverage.

The new Pink Drink-inspired Bearista cup features an adorable pink hat and a matching strawberry straw topper. Credit: Starbucks

If you don’t want to pay ridiculous reseller markups on eBay this time around, here’s a quick rundown on how and when to get one:

  • Brick-and-mortar: You should be able to purchase one in-store at select Starbucks coffeehouses on July 13. (Starbucks is enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer.) The cups will be available in the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

  • Starbucks Shop: Starbucks Reserve members will get early access via the Starbucks Shop on July 9. Note: This is not the same thing as being a standard “Rewards member.” Reserve members are the highest tier of the Rewards program. (I’m a Gold status member myself.) Reserve status members earn 2,500 stars in a single year.

May the odds be ever in your favor next month. Since I haven’t hit that coveted Reserve status yet, I’ll most likely be hitting up my local Starbucks until I can find one in stock.

#Starbucks #dropped #Pink #Drink #Bearista #Cup #today">Starbucks has dropped a new Pink Drink Bearista Cup — how to get yours today

If you survived the great Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup shortage of 2025, grab your emotional support water bottles, because we’re about to do it all over again.

Starbucks just announced that it’s bringing back the notoriously viral, instantly sold-out bear glass, but this time, it’s getting a bright summer makeover. Enter: the Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup.

Inspired by the Pink Drink, this limited-edition cup is pretty much destined to break the internet (though all the Gilmore Girlies were probs to blame for the beanie version selling out so quickly). The new glass features the bear wearing a little pink hat and comes with a strawberry straw topper. I fear the Stanley Stans will be to blame for this sell-out.

Starbucks has dropped a new Pink Drink Bearista Cup — how to get yours today
                                                            If you survived the great Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup shortage of 2025, grab your emotional support water bottles, because we’re about to do it all over again.Starbucks just announced that it’s bringing back the notoriously viral, instantly sold-out bear glass, but this time, it’s getting a bright summer makeover. Enter: the Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup.Inspired by the Pink Drink, this limited-edition cup is pretty much destined to break the internet (though all the Gilmore Girlies were probs to blame for the beanie version selling out so quickly). The new glass features the bear wearing a little pink hat and comes with a strawberry straw topper. I fear the Stanley Stans will be to blame for this sell-out.
        
            Mashable Trend Report
        
        
    


        
        
                                        
                
                                            Starbucks is bringing back its viral bear glass with a bright, pink summer makeover starting July 13.
                                                                Credit: Starbucks
                                    
                    
        
                                        
                
                                            The new Pink Drink-inspired Bearista cup features an adorable pink hat and a matching strawberry straw topper.
                                                                Credit: Starbucks
                                    
                    
    

If you don’t want to pay ridiculous reseller markups on eBay this time around, here’s a quick rundown on how and when to get one:
Brick-and-mortar: You should be able to purchase one in-store at select Starbucks coffeehouses on July 13. (Starbucks is enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer.) The cups will be available in the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.Starbucks Shop: Starbucks Reserve members will get early access via the Starbucks Shop on July 9. Note: This is not the same thing as being a standard “Rewards member.” Reserve members are the highest tier of the Rewards program. (I’m a Gold status member myself.) Reserve status members earn 2,500 stars in a single year.May the odds be ever in your favor next month. Since I haven’t hit that coveted Reserve status yet, I’ll most likely be hitting up my local Starbucks until I can find one in stock.

                    
                                    #Starbucks #dropped #Pink #Drink #Bearista #Cup #today

Starbucks is bringing back its viral bear glass with a bright, pink summer makeover starting July 13. Credit: Starbucks

A promotional lifestyle photo showcasing the limited-edition Starbucks Pink Bearista Glass Cold Cup filled with a light pink beverage.

The new Pink Drink-inspired Bearista cup features an adorable pink hat and a matching strawberry straw topper. Credit: Starbucks

If you don’t want to pay ridiculous reseller markups on eBay this time around, here’s a quick rundown on how and when to get one:

  • Brick-and-mortar: You should be able to purchase one in-store at select Starbucks coffeehouses on July 13. (Starbucks is enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer.) The cups will be available in the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

  • Starbucks Shop: Starbucks Reserve members will get early access via the Starbucks Shop on July 9. Note: This is not the same thing as being a standard “Rewards member.” Reserve members are the highest tier of the Rewards program. (I’m a Gold status member myself.) Reserve status members earn 2,500 stars in a single year.

May the odds be ever in your favor next month. Since I haven’t hit that coveted Reserve status yet, I’ll most likely be hitting up my local Starbucks until I can find one in stock.

#Starbucks #dropped #Pink #Drink #Bearista #Cup #today

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