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photo credit: Elizabeth Kay | Unsplash

Here’s What We Know About 14-Year-Old Georgia School Shooter Colt Gray 

Hope these kids find peace....


More than 48 hours after the horrific shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, the world is learning more about shooter Colt Gray, WSBTV reported. 

The 14-year-old student killed four people, two students, and two teachers, and injured nine others when he opened fire on Sept. 4. During a press conference. Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said shortly after Gray opened fire, a school resource officer approached him. He then got on the ground and surrendered. He was then taken into custody almost instantly, without incident. 

The sheriff said the shooter allegedly told authorities he realized that if he didn’t give himself up, he would have been shot. Investigators are still working through identifying how Gray got the weapon inside the school. 

While being held at a Department of Juvenile Justice facility, authorities found that Gray had been on the FBI’s watch list since 2023. The agency received a tip when the minor allegedly made threats of a shooting online. After the FBI questioned him and his father, Colin Gray, the minor denied the act, and authorities found no plausible cause to arrest him. 

According to The New York Post, the teen suspect, who is being charged as an adult with four counts of murder for the deaths of Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, Richard Aspinwall, and Christina Irimie, is scheduled to make his first court appearance at a Barrow County courthouse. Investigators said Gray allegedly told investigators, “I did it,” as soon as he was arrested. His court appearance came just hours after his father was arrested and charged with ties to the shooting, including allegedly gifting the minor the AR-style weapon for Christmas in 2023. 

His father once told police that he allegedly kept hunting guns in the house, but claimed his son did not have access to them. Authorities encouraged the father to keep the firearms under lock and key and out of the child’s reach. Law enforcement also advised for Colt to be kept out of school “until this matter could be resolved.” 

In a clip circulating on X, a fellow student told reporters that Colt was quiet and rarely came to class. “He never really talked. He was pretty quiet. He wasn’t there most times,” Lyela Sayarath said. “Either he wouldn’t come to school, or he would just skip class, but even when he would have talked, it was one-word answers or just short statements.” 

The reporter then said Sayarath told her off-camera that she wasn’t surprised by Colt’s actions and asked why she would say that. The student explained that Colt fits the stereotype of a school shooter. “Just because when you think of shooters or how they act, things that they do, it’s usually the quiet kid,” she said. 

“That’s a stereotype for it to be and he was the one who fit that description in our class.” 

During a search of the Gray home, authorities uncovered documents hidden in the shooter’s bedroom detailing his alleged obsession with other school shootings, such as the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.

RELATED CONTENT: Chicago Police Looking For Gunmen Who Killed 2 Students Outside High School

Job search, Unemployed, Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs
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Report: Job Openings In The U.S. Reach 2021 Low

The U.S. Labor Department reveals that the number of open job positions in the U.S. dropped to its lowest rate since January 2021.


A new report revealed that the number of job openings in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years.

The U.S. Labor Department reported that open positions dropped to 7.67 million, 237,000 fewer than June’s numbers and the lowest the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey has been since January 2021, NBC News reported.

“The labor market is no longer cooling down to its pre-pandemic temperature. It’s dropped past it,” said Nick Bunker, head of economic research at the Indeed Hiring Lab. “Nobody, and certainly not policymakers at the Federal Reserve, should want the labor market to get any cooler at this point.”

Instead, Dow Jones economists expected the number of open positions to be 8.1 million. With the current estimate, the ratio of job openings per available worker is now down to 1.1, roughly half of its more than 2 to 1 peak reported in early 2022.

On the other hand, with the job openings level on a steady decline, the number of layoffs across the U.S. has risen to 1.76 million. This is 202,000, higher than the number reported in June. The job separations rate has risen to 3.4% thanks to a surge in total separations by 336,000. 

Despite the rising number of layoffs and separations, the number of hires also rose, with 273,000 more, or a rate of 3.5%, more than what was recorded in June.

Krishna Guha, head of the Global Policy and Central Bank Strategy Team at Evercore ISI,  said that while the July report raised eyebrows about the economy slowing, it “does not suggest any rapid deterioration in the labor market.”

“The still low level of layoffs and tick up in hires suggests the labor market is not cracking,” he said. “But demand for workers continues to soften relative to the supply of workers, and a forward perspective suggests this is likely to continue under restrictive policy.”

His expectations of the market seemingly came true in a new report pulled Friday, Sept. 6. The report revealed that the U.S. labor market picked up last month, with employers adding roughly 142,000 jobs. Per Factset, economists anticipated a gain of 160,000 jobs and a drop that would put the unemployment rate at 4.2%.

RELATED CONTENT: New Report Indicates 44% Of American Families Struggle To Meet Basic Needs

Elin Etienne, closet
Photo Credit: North Miami Police Department/Facebook

Florida Family Demands Answers After Relative Was Found Dead In Nursing Home Storage Closet

A Florida family is demanding answers after they claim their loved one was found dead in a storage closet more than one week after he was reported missing in a North Miami nursing home.


A Florida family is demanding answers after they claim their loved one was found dead in a storage closet more than one week after he was reported missing from a North Miami nursing home.

Seventy-one-year-old Elin Etienne’s body was found in the closet at North Dade Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a North Miami Police Department spokesperson confirmed with CNN.

The police issued a “missing vulnerable adult” alert and a poster of Etienne across its social media platforms on Aug. 23, a day after his family reported him missing.

His family told NBC News and local media outlet WSVN that he was admitted to the nursing center on Aug. 14 to recover from a stroke. Their nightmare began a week later when a staff member allegedly contacted the family to alert them that he was missing from the facility.

“They said he signed himself out. He doesn’t have the capacity to sign himself out,” relative Kimberly Etienne told WSVN.

The family told the local outlet that relatives checked his room at the center on Aug. 26, and his belongings were still there.

Several days later, an anonymous staff member allegedly contacted the family on Sept. 2 to inform them his body was found in another room with a wristband with his name on it.

“We thought that he went missing; we never expected him to be dead in the nursing home,” Ruth Keisha, Etienne’s granddaughter, told WSVN.

In a statement to WSVN, the nursing home said:

“Our team is cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities, including law enforcement and our state regulatory partners. We are compassionate caregivers, and that will help us through this difficult experience. At the same time, we remain committed to ensuring our residents continue receiving the high-quality care they have come to expect from our facility.”

The family is now demanding answers from the nursing home, and per WSVN, they have been seen with signs reading “Justice for Elin Etienne” across the street from the facility.

RELATED CONTENT: Wheelchair-Bound Texas Man Dies After Dispute At Nursing Home

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The Laugh Zone Is Dayton, Ohio‘s 1st Black-Owned Comedy Club

Ohio has an impressive list of Black comedians who hail from the state, including Katt Williams, who began his career less than an hour away from Dayton in Cincinnati.


Dayton, Ohio, is getting its first Black-owned comedy club. Tony Sanders opened The Laugh Zone House of Comedy on Aug. 29 with a soft launch.

Sanders told Dayton Daily News that he moved back to Dayton during the panic after living in Atlanta for 17 years, where he was working in the entertainment industry, booking musical and comedy acts for various agencies and managing celebrities around the world. His faith is why he ventured off into local comedy.

“Partly, I believe this is the next area where God is leading me,” said Sanders, who also serves as the COO.

“When it comes to the entertainment industry, I was going to comedy events people invited me to, but many really weren’t conducive for comedy.”

Sanders is partnering with Nolan Hibachi for food, where items such as chicken and fish baskets will reportedly be on the menu. The intimate space can seat about 70 people.

“Our establishment is dedicated to providing a platform for local comedians to showcase their talent through stand-up performances and improv nights,” a statement on the website reads.

“We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive space for laughter and creativity, setting us apart as a hub for entertainment and community engagement.”

The team calls September “Grand Opening Month,” and there will be a series of events to celebrate its official launch, including an Open Mic Night.

The venue will likely host more than comedians. The website features a “register to perform” section where comedians and poets can share their work with the talent team, who will vet the entertainers.

Ohio has an impressive list of Black comedians who hail from the state, including Katt Williams, who began his career less than an hour away from Dayton in Cincinnati.

Dave Chappelle was born in Washington D.C. but raised in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where his father became a professor at Antioch University, according to Cleveland.com. Arsenio Hall of the iconic The Arsenio Hall Show from the late ‘80s and ‘90s was born in Cleveland, Ohio.  

RELATED CONTENT: Cedric The Entertainer Talks Upcoming Book, His New BBQ Venture, And Working Behind The Camera

Natasha Rothwell To Star And Produce TV Adaption Of Viral TikTok Series ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’

Natasha Rothwell is set to develop a television series of Reesa Teesa's viral TikTok saga "Who TF Did I Marry?"


Natasha Rothwell is set to develop a television series based on Reesa Teesa’s viral TikTok saga, Who TF Did I Marry?

The show will star Rothwell as Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson, the candid ex-wife who chronicled her tumultuous marriage to her pathological liar husband “Legion,” Variety reported. Johnson became a viral sensation in 2023 when she uploaded 50 videos, totaling over eight hours of storytelling, about the countless lies told by her ex.

She garnered over 450 million impressions across social media and earned over three million followers in two weeks by recalling the countless fabrications her ex, who was later identified as Jerome McCoy, told her throughout their two-year relationship. Among the lies included false claims about his place of work, having played football at San Diego State University, needing money to pay for the funeral of his step-daughter who was still alive, and daily phone conversations with his brother that turned out not to be real.

The former couple moved in together soon after meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Legion reassured Johnson of his financial standing by paying the bills and giving her spending money. The pair tied the knot in 2022 after suffering a miscarriage. But things started to go left after multiple failed attempts to purchase a home.

Johnson eventually discovered Legion’s real identity after learning that his social security number didn’t match the one on their marriage license. She soon discovered that instead of working as a vice president at a condiment company, Legion worked as a temporary forklift driver and had a criminal record. He also lied about his identity and family and was cheating on Johnson. The couple divorced the same year they got married.

After signing with CAA in March, Johnson will have her story play out on the big screen with Rothwell, who will star and executive produce the show under her Big Hattie Productions banner. The show announcement is the first since Mary Sayama McHenry joined Rothwell’s production company as director of development.

It also comes ahead of the Sept. 13 premiere of Rothwell’s new comedy series How to Die Alone on Hulu. She created and stars in the show that tells the story of Mel, a broke JFK airport employee who has a near-death accident that inspires her to dream and live life again. Rothwell is also set to return to her Emmy-nominated role of Belinda in Season 3 of The White Lotus.

Rothwell is best known for her role as Kelli in HBO’s Insecure, a show she also contributed to as a writer, and for her work as a writer on Saturday Night Live from 2014 to 2015.

RELATED CONTENT: Viral Storyteller Reesa Teesa To Be CultureCon’s Keynote Speaker

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The War On Women Eerily Resembles The War On Drugs

One glaring weakness is the tendency to criminalize certain groups and ideas


By Dr. Topeka K. Sam 

Nine years ago, I walked out of federal prison after serving time for a drug conspiracy charge for which at the time I was facing 20 years. Today, I lead The Ladies of Hope Ministries, an award-winning non-profit serving justice-impacted women. I spend over 200 days a year in prisons nationwide, working to reform a system that too often harms rather than heals. As a Black woman who was previously incarcerated and now sits on boards alongside top criminal defense attorneys and judges, I’ve gained a unique perspective on our criminal legal system’s strengths and weaknesses.

One glaring weakness is our tendency to criminalize certain groups and ideas, particularly those that challenge society’s norms. The war on drugs has traditionally been a pretense to attack communities of color and prompted the mass incarceration of black men and women. The underlying discrimination is only all the clearer now that we see many of those same substances being dispensed legally on Main Street of America. It wasn’t the drugs the government actually wanted to eradicate; it was the growing threat of Black liberation.

I am watching now this same criminalization happen again with conspiracy laws being weaponized against other groups that those in power want to denigrate and destroy. There is no case I see this more starkly on display than the case of two women who are now facing a trial in the Eastern District of New York which, if convicted, would face up to 20 years in prison.

I first met Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz through their non-profit, Unconditional Freedom, through my work with the Prison Monastery program Nicole created. Their vision wasn’t just to improve the system or tear it down, but to transform our often-dangerous prisons into places of healing and growth. When I visited their program at the largest women’s prison in the world, Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California, I was moved to tears. Women who had served 30, 40, even 45 years spoke of finding new hope for the first time.

Yet today, Nicole and Rachel stand indicted in federal court for a single count of conspiracy to commit forced labor through their former company, OneTaste. The prosecutors don’t claim they forced anyone to work for free, only that they conspired to do so over a 12-year period – an improbable conspiracy that, according to the indictment, began before Nicole and Rachel even met and continued well after Nicole had sold and departed from the company she co-founded.

As someone who works with justice-impacted people every day of her life and knows first-hand how our conspiracy laws work, I find it difficult to ignore the context of these charges. Nicole created a meditative practice for women called Orgasmic Meditation (OM) that aimed to liberate women’s sexual power and strengthen their connection with their bodies as a pathway to healing. Research scientists who I met published papers on OM affirming its strength as a tool for addressing the mental health issues that plague women today for which we have few if any solutions. The radical nature of this message – encouraging women not to fear their own bodies and sexuality but to claim autonomy over them – seems inextricably linked to Nicole and Rachel’s current legal troubles.

Most tellingly, Nicole’s $1,000,000 bail from Government described her as a danger to society because she “has returned to performing public OM demonstrations.” This is a statement of opinion rather than legal judgement issued by a federal prosecutor.

I know from my advocacy work in prisons that the antidote to criminalization is dignity and empathy. Just as empathy helped steer us away from the devastating excesses of the War on Drugs, we need an open-hearted conversation about the potentially devastating effects of continuing to misuse our conspiracy laws to destroy a movement dedicated to the sexual empowerment and liberation of women.

Knowing Nicole and Rachel, I am certain they will use this harrowing experience to help other women facing similar challenges. That is the essence of their work – transforming poison into medicine. But that doesn’t make this right or justify using our criminal legal system in this way.

It’s time to pause, reflect, and engage in honest dialogue about the intersection of justice and personal freedom. We saw the war on drugs attack Black culture and Black leaders. Are we now moving from a war on drugs to a war on sex to attack female sexuality and female leadership?

RELATED CONTENTPetty Patriarchy: VP Kamala Harris Breaks Political Glass Ceilings Only To Be Labeled A ‘DEI Hire’


Topeka K. Sam, war on women, prison
Courtesy of Topeka K. Sam

Topeka K. Sam is a founding member and national organizer of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women (The Council) whose mission is to end the incarceration of women and girls and is the founder and executive director of The Ladies of Hope Ministries – The LOHM – whose mission is to help disenfranchised and marginalized women and girls transition back into society through spiritual empowerment, education, entrepreneurship, and advocacy. She has most recently founded HOPE HOUSE – a safe housing space for women and girls.

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Lee Daniels Had ‘Horrible’ Time Working On ‘Empire’ But Loves All The ‘Money, Money, Money’ He Made

Despite all of Lee Daniels' success with his past hit Fox series Empire, he had a "horrible" time working on it.


Despite all of Lee Daniels’ success with his past hit series Empire, he had a “horrible” time working on it.

Empire built a strong audience during its six-season run on Fox. Daniels created the American music drama with Danny Strong and enjoyed the weekly engagement the show garnered on social media. While the show was reeling in high ratings for Fox, Daniels was suffering from behind-the-scenes drama with network execs.

“I only did Empire just so I could see what that experience was like,” Daniels told The Film Stage.

As for how he feels about his time creating Empire, The Butler director says it wasn’t smooth sailing, but he enjoyed all of the money he could make from its success. According to Daniels, the profits were the only thing that made the experience “worth it.”

“Horrible. Absolutely the worst experience. Horrible!” he exclaimed. “But guess what? F—ing that money, money, money! I was able to put my kids through college and s—.”

Empire served as Daniels’ successful transition into television following his Oscar-award-winning performances in his films Precious (2009) and The Butler (2013).

“I don’t like staying in the same lane just as a creative,” he recalled. “When I got into television, I really just wanted to be able to answer to suits. I wanted to know what that experience was like.”

Having made all of his films independently, Daniels was curious about working within Hollywood’s system, where he had to answer to someone.

“There’s so many filmmakers and writers that I respect that have to answer to people,” he said.

Once he got his first taste of the television world, Daniels soon learned how confining that part of the industry can be. Filming Empire during the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Daniels found himself subjected to rules and restrictions from higher-ups that stained his television experience.

In 2019, he got candid with Vulture about his distaste for working on the show after Empire‘s cancellation was announced. In one instance, Daniels was told that he “can’t use certain words,” like “the B-word” on set, which left him feeling “triggered.”

“I said, ‘Okay.’ And I think they said, ‘You can’t look people in the eyes too long. Be careful with touching.’ These are all things that I do in my room when I work,” Daniels recalled.

“And then they said, ‘And you can’t say the N-word.’ I was shook. It led to a bigger conversation of me being afraid to be me on the set and how I make my movies. I said, ‘I can’t have this conversation. I need to know who I can call on you. Because you have me triggered. You’re not going to play these games with me.'”

Daniels’ new film, The Deliverance, became the most-watched movie on Netflix during its premiere on Labor Day weekend. The thriller sees Daniels reunite with Mo’Nique following a yearslong feud over their 2009 film Precious. Andra Day, Aunjanue Ellis, and Glenn Close star alongside Mo’Nique in the film.

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50 Cent Makes Novel Debut With ‘The Accomplice,’ Already Receiving ‘Offers To Make It A Television Show’

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is adding novelist to his extensive resume with the release of his first-ever novel "The Accomplice."


Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is adding novelist to his extensive resume with the release of his first-ever novel The Accomplice.

The hip-hop mogul appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday to promote his new book, which tells the suspenseful story of the first Black female Texas ranger Nia Adams. Considering his success with his Power Universe which dominates Starz, Jackson, teased the many offers he’s receiving to turn the new book into a television series.

“I already got offers to make a television show,” he told Colbert.

Born in New York but raised in Texas, The Accomplice sees Nia follows her dream of becoming a trailblazing officer of the law. She thought she knew about the dangers of the job. But nothing could prepare her for the trouble criminal Desmond Bell brings. A Vietnam veteran turned thief, Desmond not only steals money but also uncovers the secrets of the wealthy and influential, using them to blackmail his targets for millions.

After stealing from the Duchamps, the wealthiest family in the country, Nia’s investigation into the robbery jeopardizes Desmond’s anonymity and the criminal enterprise he is part of. As gruesome murders continue, Nia risks her career and livelihood to uncover the truth. It’s a dangerous game of cat and mouse between the ranger and the thief, with the looming peril of the Duchamps, who won’t hesitate to kill them both.

According to Jackson, readers can expect “complete excitement” from his novel debut. He shared more detail into his process of crafting the book with award-winning mystery writer Aaron Philip Clark, who brought the story to life “in a real way.”

“I uploaded him information that I had got from a lot of the different networks and stuff that I was doing business with in the television business, and he was able to put this book together,” the G-Unit founder explained.

It’s was a a “really good” writing process, Jackson shared while crediting Clark with being “a good listener.” When Colbert asked the rapper if he told Clark how he wanted the book to be written, Jackson clarified that he didn’t write the novel himself.

“I didn’t sit there writing it,” he confirmed.

“Yeah? You don’t have time for that,” Colbert jokingly added.

The Get Rich or Die Tryin‘ creator recalled telling Clark that the novel “‘has to feel like this. It has to be this. It has to be like this.'”

“And then he built the story around it because he has a great novel structure,” Jackson shared. “He got writers that write that way every time.”

The Accomplice was released on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

Joseph Boakai
U.S. Embassy Monrovia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Liberian President Joseph Nyumah Boakai Highlights Liberia’s Progression During 124th National Black Business Conference

Way to go Liberia!


PR Newswire reported that close to 3,000 attendees at the National Business League’s 124th National Black Business Conference in Atlanta heard encouraging words from keynote speaker and Liberian President Joseph Nyumah Boakai

The historic event on Sept. 3, ​​in collaboration with the National Alliance for Black Business and co-founders, the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and the World Conference of Mayors, focused on heightening economic partnerships and collaborative efforts between Black American businesses and African countries. 

With a particular emphasis on Liberia, Boakai’s appearance added significant value by identifying the direct line back to the Business League’s founder, Booker T. Washington, who played a vital role in Liberia’s history. When the African nation was threatened with being acquired by European colonial forces in 1907, Liberia leaned on the Tuskegee University founder to intervene. Washington was able to stop foreign entities, secure Liberia’s survival, and create the foundation for Pan-Africanist relations. 

Boakai highlighted how collaboration with Liberia, the Pan-African community and the private U.S. sector will heighten economic opportunity. He also called for stronger economic ties to help expand opportunities for Black businesses globally. According to the Liberian Observer, the president and CEO of the National Business League, Dr. Kenneth Harris, celebrated the success of the conference, labeling it as coming full circle. “This occasion is important because 40 years ago, the World Conference of Mayors hosted its first conference in Monrovia, Liberia. And now it’s coming full circle,” Harris said. 

“So, should I say, since we went home first, now Liberia is coming to the United States to continue the work that was started 40 years ago, except now, we are focused on black businesses?” 

As the Liberian president boosted the nation as having some of the “best opportunities for investors, including black businesses represented at this conference,” he announced the creation of the ARREST Agenda, which focuses on the investment and development in agriculture, roads and infrastructure, as well as education, health and sanitation, and tourism. “While these are not exhaustive of the range of critical interventions to spur economic growth, we believe they drive such growth and development,” Boakai said. 

“Liberia’s fertile land and favorable climate offer vast opportunities for agricultural investments, particularly in rice production.” 

He also emphasized energy, as Liberia is seeking investments in solar, hydro, and biomass energy projects to meet its growing needs. The president said the country’s installed capacity stands at close to 126 megawatts, while the demand is near over 500 megawatts.

“This leaves a significant gap between supply and demand, which highlights the urgent need for investment in expanding renewable energy sources to ensure that more Liberians have reliable access to electricity and to support industry, including manufacturing, for economic growth,” he said.  

With major sponsors including Amazon, Comerica Bank, and Prosper Africa, the conference hosted a diverse audience, including government officials, business leaders, and representatives from 32 Pan-African countries. The 2025 conference is scheduled for August 20-23 at the Hilton Atlanta Hotel in downtown Atlanta.

PayPal, Apple Wallet,,point-of-sale, Google
(Photo: Yaeli778, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

PayPal Expands Into U.S. Point-of-Sale Payments, Integrates With Apple Wallet In Bid To Compete With Tech Giants

To attract more consumers, PayPal is offering 5% cash back on eligible purchases up to $1,000 per month.


PayPal Holdings (PYPL.O) is making a major move into the U.S. point-of-sale (POS) payments market, enabling its debit card to be used with Apple’s mobile wallet. According to Reuters, the expansion includes offering 5% cashback on select purchases, positioning PayPal to compete directly with tech giants like Apple and Google and traditional banks.

This strategic shift is part of an ambitious turnaround plan spearheaded by PayPal’s new CEO, Alex Chriss, who took the reins in 2023 after leaving Intuit. Known for its dominance in online payments and peer-to-peer transactions via Venmo, PayPal is now pushing into in-person transactions at physical stores, restaurants, and cafes.

“E-commerce has obviously been one of the fastest-growing areas where people are spending their dollars, but it’s not everything,” Chriss said. “Now consumers can use PayPal for every purchase, everywhere, every time.”

5% Cashback and Mobile Wallet Integration

To attract more consumers, PayPal is offering 5% cash back on eligible purchases up to $1,000 per month. In addition to rewards for everyday purchases, users will benefit from exclusive offers from popular brands like DoorDash and Sephora.

By integrating with Apple Pay, PayPal enables customers to easily make contactless payments through their mobile wallets, leveraging the growing popularity of the “tap to pay” feature. This move aligns with the broader consumer trend towards using mobile wallets for in-store purchases.

U.S. Debit Card Market Growth

The value of U.S. debit card payments has soared in recent years, reaching $4.55 trillion in 2021, compared to $2.47 trillion in 2015, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. Chriss pointed out that consumers are becoming more cost-conscious and shifting toward debit cards to manage their spending within their limits.

PayPal’s 5% cashback incentive makes its debit card offering one of the most competitive in the market. According to research from purchase rewards firm Valuedynamx, only 24% of debit card users received cashback rewards in 2023, compared to 74% of credit cardholders. This positions PayPal’s debit card as a valuable option for consumers seeking rewards without relying on credit.

Competing with Apple and Google

In mobile payments, PayPal faces increasing competition from tech giants like Apple and Google. To bolster its market presence, PayPal is making its largest-ever marketing investment to promote in-person use of its services. While the company has not disclosed the amount, PayPal indicated that its marketing and branding efforts will significantly increase expenses in the latter half of the year.

Chriss has described 2024 as a “transition year” for the company, focusing on expanding revenue streams beyond traditional transaction-related volume. Earlier this year, PayPal launched new AI-driven tools and introduced a streamlined one-click checkout feature to enhance its product lineup.

Stock Performance and Future Outlook

PayPal’s stock has risen more than 17% since the beginning of 2024, though it still lags behind the S&P 500 index’s 22% gain. The company’s recent moves reflect broader efforts to revitalize its growth trajectory and regain market momentum.

With its entry into the U.S. point-of-sale market, PayPal aims to bridge the gap between its online payments dominance and the growing demand for in-person, mobile-based transactions, ensuring that consumers can use it “everywhere, every time.”

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