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1. I spent the last few days communicating with more than four dozen pizza workers at @dominos, @pizzahut, and @PapaJohns.

I wanted to find out what it was like to make and deliver pizza for these companies during a pandemic.

It's not pretty.

popular.info/p/pizza-pandem…
2. Out of 52 drivers, cooks, and managers I spoke to at the 3 companies, just one reported receiving a mask.

A handful said they were provided gloves or sanitizer.

The vast majority received no protective equipment.

popular.info/p/pizza-pandem…
3. Social distancing as a pizza worker is almost impossible. Cooks worked in cramped facilities.

All three chains tout "contactless delivery" but they make it optional. Drivers report that many people do not use that option and continue to pay cash.

popular.info/p/pizza-pandem…
4. Except in a few states where it is required by law, none of the pizza workers reported being offered paid sick leave. If they want to get paid, they need to show up. Many are scared.

popular.info/p/pizza-pandem…
5. All three pizza chains provided comment to this story. They all say they are taking steps to improve the situation. But, in most cases, these steps only apply to corporate owned stores, not franchises. And the vast majority of stores are franchises.

popular.info/p/pizza-pandem…
6. One thing I've learned while reporting during this pandemic is that corporations behave a bit better when they know someone is watching.

Accountability journalism can create change.

Join this effort by signing up for my newsletter --> popular.info/subscribe
7. These pizza workers are putting their lives at risk for very meager pay. Domino's says that the workers in it's corporate stores have received an unspecified amount of "thank you pay." The rest appear to have gotten nothing.

popular.info/p/pizza-pandem…
8. A percentage of people who choose contactless delivery don't tip, I'm told. So tips overall are about level or down. So if you do order pizza, please increase your tip to account for the additional hazard of bringing food to your door.

popular.info/p/pizza-pandem…
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Judd Legum
@JuddLegum
1. The Paycheck Protection Program was supposed to support struggling SMALL BUSINESSES

But a Popular Information investigation, based on hundreds of recent SEC filings, found 32 companies that pay their CEOs $1 MILLION OR MORE that scooped up PPP funds

popular.info/p/32-millionai…
2. @veritoneinc paid its CEO, @ChadSteelberg, $18.7 MILLION in 2018. His brother, @steelberg_oc, was paid $13.9 million.

As of 12/31, the company had $44 million in cash reserves.

Last week, Vertione received $6.5 million in forgivable PPP loans

popular.info/p/32-millionai…
3. In a press release, Chad Steelberg said that the $6.5 million in taxpayer money meant that Veritone can "continue operations without salary reductions"

"[W]e are grateful the CARES Act established a safety net to help companies like Veritone"

popular.info/p/32-millionai…
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Judd Legum
@JuddLegum
1. One very strange thing about the anti-quarantine protests is that none of the protesters are protesting Trump.

Trump has issued federal guidelines recommending a national quarantine through May 1 and, in most states, for many weeks after that

popular.info/p/make-america…
2. Instead of protesting Trump, the protesters are wearing MAGA hats.

Why?

These protests really aren't about protesting the quarantine orders.

They are about getting Trump reelected

popular.info/p/make-america…
3. That's why Trump is actively supporting the protesters even though his own policy says to listen to state and local officials.

The purpose is to shift blame from Trump to governors.

The fact that the entire thing is incoherent is not important

popular.info/p/make-america…
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Judd Legum
@JuddLegum
.@RuthsChris had $42.2 million in profits last year, spent $5.2M buying its own stock, and pays its CEO $6.1M

It has $86M in cash reserves

It just received $20M in taxpayer money from a fund meant to keep "small businesses" afloat

But it gets worse

popular.info/p/a-raw-deal
@RuthsChris 2. The purpose of the Paycheck Protection Program is to keep people employed

But a Popular Information investigation reveals @RuthsChris has furloughed nearly all of its restaurant workers

It appears the $20M will be spent paying managers & executives

popular.info/p/a-raw-deal
3. Many small businesses on the brink of collapse were shut out of the program because the $ ran out

Companies like @RuthsChris, w/preexisting banking relationships, were put at the front of the line

@RuthsChris did not respond to my request for comment

popular.info/p/a-raw-deal
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