In the new @BW is a story I've worked on for ages. It's a definitive look at McD's cultural impact on Russia, how a burger brand forced the US's foes (from commies to oligarchs) to rethink their approach to business, and why war can't erase that conquest

Meanwhile, a companion investigative feature of my own is due out any day. Prepare for bombshells on dairy brands that you know, and may even love.

It premieres this weekend, at @Tribeca. The June 8th and June 12th screenings both sold out. But rush tickets are still available at the door. Come learn about a dark side of milk that you didn't know existed!

Ever since "Got Milk?" defined wholesome '90s ads, food corporations have seized that halo to rake in profits while dairy farmers languish. @Nick_Bruckman and Yoni Brook's THE PRICE OF MILK is a must-see docuseries examining how, partly drawn from my years of reporting on it.

RT @Asso_Sherpa: Bolloré's businesses seem to “prey on countries with weak governance standards. Their relative impunity is made possible….

With Bloomberg saying Starbucks could have the first offers for its China business in a "few weeks," re-upping my 2022 @FastCompany investigation where we outlined how going all-in meant "taking on significant risk."

RT @Longreads: "Even amid the barrage of negative press this year, the grocery chain’s public image remained strong.". @clintrainey.bsky.so….

If TJ's is your current/ex employer and you have your own firsthand experiences that you'd like to discuss (either anonymously or on the record), please feel free to DM me. (7/7).

And this also extends to more worrying physical threats, they claim. Such as protecting them from violent customers, criminals who have robbed as many as 21 stores at gunpoint (some twice), and pickpockets who have been targeting TJ's at higher-than-average rates for years. (6/7).

As you'd expect, workers say this low level of concern for their well-being pervades other practices. Such as the handling of safety issues: a dangerous # of boxes delivered daily to TJ's too-small stores, no training to operate equipment, zero emergency response protocols. (5/7).

These problems of course hint at a level of mismanagement & dysfunction so mystifyingly at odds with TJ's presumed public image that several workers told me they assumed that "I was the only one." (4/7)

Frequently, alleged harassers were permitted to transfer to a new workplace where colleagues would be more welcoming—workers called it a Catholic Church-style coverup. I found at least 4 of such workers still employed at stores located just 10-15 min from their old one. (3/7).

Officially, TJ's policy is to put "reasonable" distance between alleged harassers and their accusers so they aren't working side by side. But workers who filed complaints around the country told me this never happened, leaving some taking orders daily from their harassers. (2/7)

Yesterday we published story #3 in @FastCompany's Trader Joe's series, documenting a pattern of alleged sexual harassment spanning over a decade. Workers say TJ's has failed to act on complaints where a dozen accused the same worker of misconduct. (1/7)

RT @FastCompany: The final story in a 3-part series exposes the contrast between the public image of Trader Joe's employees and the reality….

For anyone who missed part 1 of the series, it's available here. Please check out the 3rd and final installment on Thursday, addressing physical safety hazards in stores and a pattern of alleged sexual harassment stretching back over a decade. (5/5).

TJ's says it's an escape from "national brands" & "the masses who willingly consume" Coke and Wonder Bread. 85-95% of items carry TJ's private label, to show "this product is so good, we want our name on it." . But we got the vendor list. It's . a lot of national brands. (4/5)

We have the first deep look at TJ's supply chain. All items at 560 stores are stored remotely in a handful of TJ's-run warehouses concentrated on the coasts. TJ's claims to source "as close to our stores as we can," but some get their daily deliveries from 800+ miles away. (3/5)

This piece begins with TJ's recent recall problem, what jumpstarted the series. Its scope might actually be greater than has been appreciated. A screw + pieces of string + wrong best-by date didn't cause the popular Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes to be recalled in March: (2/5)

Here is part 2 of "Inside 'Telfon Joe's'"—a 9-month investigation of Trader Joe's secretive business operations (+ how they've helped make the brand invincible), culled from 100s of insider conversations and 1000s of pgs of internal and legal docs. (1/5).

Here is our second story: