By Melissa Allison, Seattle Times Jan. 31--Starbucks will close about 100 U.S. stores this year, scale back its U.S. expansion and begin focusing on faster growth overseas as it seeks to revive its cachet and rekindle sales growth that by one measure sagged to an all-time low last quarter.

By The Seattle Times Jan. 13--New word for the week: woonerf. Add it to your urban-planning dictionary. One is coming to Seattle.

By Elizabeth M Gillespie SEATTLE -- Starbucks Corp. said Monday it is returning its chairman, Howard Schultz, to the chief executive's job to lead a major restructuring initiative, replacing CEO Jim Donald. The move, coupled with plans to open new U.S.

To: All PartnersFrom: Howard Schultz Twenty-five years ago, I walked into Starbucks' (SBUX) first store in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and from that day forward we have taken the road less traveled.

By Melissa Allison, Seattle Times Jan. 8--Howard Schultz, Starbucks' chairman and the man responsible for turning it into the world's largest coffee-shop chain, returned as chief executive on Monday and laid out plans for a turnaround.