Weekend News Roundup February 22, 2025
Add 'having vocal cords that work' in the list of things one can't do while Black. The latest example stems from a cafeteria worker in Nevada who filed a lawsuit because a few white teachers complained about her 'Black voice.' You just can't make this up. - Kalyn Womack Read More
Over the last several weeks, The Root has reported extensively on Donald Trump's crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion. Frighteningly, that crusade has extended to the U.S. military as well. - Candace McDuffie Read More
The agency in charge of investigating judicial misconduct has one Georgia Superior Court Judge on its radar. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) has filed several charges against Judge Shermela Williams, accusing her of a growing list of ethics violations, including delaying rulings and using her position to get involved in the legal proceedings of a relative. - Angela Johnson Read More
Onjiah Robinson, or the so-called 'Queen of Pakistan,' has seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth since she took over the internet. It's unclear whether she's back in New York or in a jail cell in Dubai. This is what we know so far: - Kalyn Womack Read More
Tennessee prosecutors just concluded their case against a murderer who took inspiration from a fictional serial killer. The killer's crimes were so heinous that his punishment was just as unfathomable. - Kalyn Womack Read More
Last November, award-winning journalist Chauncy Glover was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home. He was pronounced dead shortly after by fire department personnel. A deputy medical examiner conducted an examination just a day after Glover's passing...now, his cause of death has been revealed. - Candace McDuffie Read More
It seems that Jaguar Wright is fully invested in her support for MAGA and President Donald Trump and the love seems to go both ways. Accepting an award at the Trump's Mar-A-Lago club, the blogger was one of many individuals who were honored at the event organized by America's Future. - Noah A. McGee Read More
A family was preparing to lower the casket of their 10-year-old into the ground when the solemn ceremony was interrupted by shots fired. What was shocking was not only the incident itself but the revelation of who the shooter was: the funeral director. - Kalyn Womack Read More
Lavar Ball, the outspoken father of the Ball brothers (Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo Ball) recently underwent a procedure that will change his way of life. Although we still don't know the reason why. - Noah A. McGee Read More
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Target donated $300,000 to a Black church group. Why boycott activists want it returned.
Target has donated $300,000 to the National Baptist Convention and two separate leaders of boycotts against the retailer are calling for the church organization to return the gift. In separate comments, Nekima Levy Armstrong, a Minnesota activist who launched a Target boycott on Feb. 1 and Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant, who encouraged members of the Black faith community to boycott for 40 days and now permanently stay away from the retailer, have said the acceptance by the Black church organization works against their efforts. Both boycotts are in response to what Levy Armstrong and Bryant say were efforts by Target to turn its back on the Black community when it rolled back its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. What was the $300,000 donation from Target? A Target spokesman provided USA TODAY with a statement when asked about the donation: 'We're proud to be sponsoring NBCUSA's conference series as one of the many ways we invest to make a meaningful impact in communities across the country by supporting access to education, economic development initiatives and entrepreneurship programs." The National Black Convention did not return an email and phone inquiry from USA TODAY seeking comment on the donation and the calls for its return. However, in a press release provided to other media outlets, National Black Convention President Boise Kimber said the partnership is based on a 'shared commitment to community empowerment through small-business and entrepreneur development, investments in education and student support, and workforce and skill development that unlocks growth across our communities.' Kimber said the donation will help the church organization 'provide scholarships, support senior citizens, and invest in entrepreneurship programs that uplift our people and the future.' Black faith leader rejects donation, calls for its return During a Sunday sermon at his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, on June 22, Bryant decried Target's donation to the National Baptist Convention. He accused Target, whose CEO had met with Bryant and the Rev. Al Sharpton in April, of "going around" him to the National Baptist Convention. "Are you crazy to think we're going to sell out for chump change?" Bryant said. In an interview with USA TODAY, Bryant said Target's donation to the National Baptist Convention, which Bryant said is not affiliated with his church, was actually four donations of $75,000 to Black church organizations that the National Baptist Convention received and split. "It's really a slap in the face and an insult," Bryant said of the donation and the National Baptist Convention accepting the money. Bryant has called for the money to be returned to Target. Consumer boycotts continue: 31% are participating. See where and why As part of his Target boycott, Bryant has made four demands, including honoring a $2 billion pledge to the Black business community that Target previously had in place, which entailed purchasing Black-owned products, services and investing in Black media. Bryant has also called for the retailer to invest in Black-owned banks, establish retail centers at historically Black college and universities and fully restore DEI initiatives. "The black eye for us is that they (National Baptist Convention) walked away with nothing that we asked for," Bryant said. Target previously released a statement on May 28 in response to Bryant's Target blackout and demands. "Target is absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone – our team members, our guests and our supply partners,'' it read. "In the last five years, we have: committed to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses and brands within five years; supported students at over 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); invested $100 million to Black-led community organizations; given scholarships to over 30,000 members of our team to advance their careers; committed 5% of our profits to the communities we operate in; volunteered millions of hours to organizations across the country and created meaningful opportunities for our team members to thrive both personally and professionally." Community organizer takes issue with donation and Bryant In a separate open letter sent to the National Baptist Convention and shared with USA TODAY, Levy Armstrong, founder of the Racial Justice Network, urged the church group "to reconsider its alignment with a corporation that has caused such profound harm. "This $300,000 payment does not heal – it deepens the wound. It appears to be a payout for silence and an attempt to regain Black consumer trust without accountability," the letter stated. The letter was also signed by fellow organizers Monique Cullars-Doty, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota and Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-Minnesota (Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota). The letter also took issue with Bryant, saying he was aware of the Target boycott, which started on Feb. 1, and expressed interest in joining the effort. But then Bryant repackaged the work as his own, creating a separate campaign and erasing the women's work. The women said it was reflective of a long, painful history of Black women organizers being pushed aside. Bryant told USA TODAY that he has honored Levy Armstrong and said from the start that he did not start the Target boycott." "My focus was singularly to align with the Black churches as Black churches were not involved or engaged," he said. "I'd say everywhere from the rooftops that we were not the originators of it, but it was our intention to bring out the Black church alongside." Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Approval Rating Surges Among Black Voters
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump is seeing a notable surge in support among Black voters, according to a new poll. The latest Quantus Insights poll, conducted June 23-25 among 1,000 registered voters, shows Trump's approval rating among Black voters has grown by 8 points since the beginning of the month. According to the poll, Trump's approval rating among Black voters currently stands at 31 percent, up from 23 percent at the beginning of June. Meanwhile, his disapproval rating is down 4 points, from 68 to 64. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. Black Voter Gains Stand Out Amid National Decline It comes as Trump's national approval ratings are trending downwards, with several recent polls showing Trump's approval rating at an all-time low for his second term. And other polls have also shown a downward trend in Trump's approval rating in recent days. That includes the Quantus poll, which shows Trump's approval slipping slightly to 47 percent, down from 48 percent. His disapproval rating rose to 50 percent, up from 49 percent in the previous poll. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Nonetheless, the poll shows Trump's approval among Black voters increasing more than any other demographic. Other polls also show Trump's approval rating rising with Black voters. The most recent McLaughlin and Associates poll, conducted June 12-15 among 2,000 registered voters, showed Trump's approval rating among Black voters at 30 percent. That was up 4 points from 26 percent in April. His disapproval was down 4 points from 74 percent. Overall, his net approval was up 8 points, from -48 to -40. The latest Emerson College poll, conducted June 24-25 among 1,000 registered voters, showed a 2-point boost in Trump's net approval rating over the same time period, from -56 points in April to -54 points in June. Why the Shift? Experts Weigh In "If I have to speculate about why this is happening, I would say that the broad economic effects that economists have been predicting from the tariffs has not yet hit the Black community and inflation has cooled a little bit since Trump took office," Alvin Tillery, founder of Alliance for Black Equality and co-founder of 2040 Strategy Group, told Newsweek. Since Trump took office on January 20, inflation has shown modest signs of cooling, although economists caution that the trend could be temporary. According to the latest Consumer Price Index data, overall inflation rose by just 0.1 percent in May, down from 0.2 percent in April. On an annual basis, headline inflation now sits at around 2.4 percent, slightly higher than April's 2.3 percent, but still near the Federal Reserve's target. Meanwhile, reports have noted that Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" tariffs, released in April, have not noticeably pushed up prices. However, polls show that Black voters are still not optimistic about the economy. The latest Gallup poll shows that only 14 percent of Black voters rate the economy as good or excellent. And the latest YouGov/Economist poll showed that only 9 percent of Black voters describe the economy as good or excellent, while only 12 percent approve of his performance on the economy. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/AP A recent Pew Research study found that Trump's 2024 victory—marked by gains in 48 states and among several traditionally Democratic-leaning demographics—was driven more by his success in mobilizing past supporters than by converting Democratic voters, as well as by the diverse coalition he assembled. And that includes Black voters. According to the report, Trump nearly doubled his support among Black voters from 2020 to 2024, rising from 8 percent to 15 percent. Black men and women were more likely to back him in 2024, with 21 percent of Black men and 10 percent of Black women casting their vote for Trump. And data shared with Newsweek by Quantus Insights shows that much of Trump's gains among Black voters came from urban areas, with Trump's share of the vote among Black urban voters growing from 8 percent in 2020 to 15 percent in 2024 (including 21 percent of Black urban men). Black Voters 'Tired of Being Overlooked' Quantus pollster Jason Corley told Newsweek that Trump's appeal to working-class urban voters has grown stronger than many expected, pointing to his populist message resonating across different racial groups. "Trump didn't just run against Democrats, he ran against the message—populist, anti-elite, culturally nationalist—resonated emotionally with a surprising range of people: working-class men across racial and regional lines, including Black and Hispanic voters in cities," Corley said. But Darius Jones, president of the National Black Empowerment Action Fund, told Newsweek that the movement reflects more than just an ideological shift. "This shift isn't about Black voters suddenly embracing Trump's full ideology, but it's a wake-up call that our votes are up for grabs—and that both parties should finally be competing for the Black vote," Jones said. "This isn't partisan; it's voters are tired of being overlooked, spoken down to, and fed the same hollow promises. These polls show we are open and can reward whoever speaks to our kitchen table issues, rather than simply follow a party line." Still, longer-term trends show that Trump has struggled to hold his gains. YouGov polling finds that Trump's approval rating among Black voters has fallen from -31 points at the beginning of his second term, to -65 points. That is the most dramatic shift of any racial group. Among white voters, Trump held a net favorability rating of +13 at the beginning of his second term. That figure has now fallen to -1. And among Hispanic Americans, Trump's net favorability has plummeted from -12 at the start of his second term to -26 now, suggesting that early inroads he made with some Latino voters during the 2020 and 2024 campaigns may be reversing. Update 7/2/25, 12:24 p.m. ET: This story was updated with a chart.
USA Today
12 hours ago
- USA Today
Remembering a time before the Diddy trial: When Sean Combs nearly became an NFL owner
A 12-person Manhattan jury delivered a split verdict Wednesday in the case of Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but was acquitted on the top charge of racketeering and both sex trafficking counts. The verdict came after allegations of sexual assault and trafficking started mounting against the music mogul following a bombshell lawsuit from his former girlfriend of a decade, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine, who provided devastating testimony during the trial that began May 5 in Combs' hometown of New York City. It wasn't long ago that Combs attempted to join one of the most exclusive clubs in American society: NFL ownership. Here's a look back at Diddy's dalliance with "The Shield." Sean 'Diddy' Combs wanted to buy Carolina Panthers Combs first voiced his desire to buy the Carolina Panthers via social media in December 2017. The Golden State Warriors ' Stephen Curry responded that he wanted to be a part of the ownership group. NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more. Combs' ownership push came amid the Colin Kaepernick protests that he inspired across the league. In May 2018, however, owners unanimously approved a new national anthem policy that requires players to stand if they are on the field during the performance and extinguished Combs' desire to own a team, apparently. "Man, I really wanted to go in there and be a part of the NFL and try to be a positive change," Combs said, via Billboard. "This last move, though, I don't even want to own an NFL team no more." The team eventually went to David Tepper. During an appearance with "The Breakfast Club" following his failed attempt to buy the team, Combs said: 'It was never about me buying the Panthers. It was always about 'we.' It was always about 'we' need a team,' he said. 'I jumped out there to make sure that they understood that they have to consider some Black ownership right now with 80%, 70% of the league being African American. It's just time.' Robert Kraft wanted Sean 'Diddy' Combs to own NFL team During a run-in with gossip website TMZ, Patriots owner Robert Kraft voiced his support for Combs when asked about the prospect of the 55-year-old buying into the league. "I hope so," he told TMZ Sports. "I'm a big fan of his." Combs later told TMZ that "it's time" for him to own a team.
